College Football

Jeremiah Smith Enjoys Historic Day: 4 Takeaways From Ohio State's Win Over Iowa

Laken Litman
College Football and Soccer Writer

As No. 14 Iowa prepared to host No. 5 Ohio State on Saturday, one of the more notable statistics circulating was that Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz was 5-2 at home against AP top-five teams since 2008.

But there would be no upset in Kinnick Stadium this time. 

Ohio State rolled to a resounding 31-14 road victory, fueled in large part by another stellar performance from superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who coach Ryan Day has compared to LeBron James.

Here are my takeaways from this Week 5 Big Ten showdown:

1. Jeremiah Smith Continues His Ascent To Greatness

Week after week, Smith continues to make his case as the best player in college football. He already broke Ohio State’s all-time receiving yards record earlier this season, and added more milestones to his résumé in Saturday’s win over Iowa.

In the second quarter, Smith hauled in the 200th catch of his career, rising above three defenders to make an acrobatic 54-yard grab. In the third quarter, he added his 36th career touchdown reception, pulling down a 57-yard bomb from quarterback Julian Sayin to give Ohio State a 24-6 lead. The touchdown made Smith Ohio State’s all-time leader in career touchdown receptions, and he celebrated by striking the Heisman pose. 

Four minutes later, Smith made the 206th catch of his career to become the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in receptions. 

Smith ended his Saturday with 11 catches for 206 yards (77 yards coming after the catch) and two touchdowns. He now owns every major receiving record in program history.

"Drawing plays up for him is a lot of fun," Day told the broadcast after the game. "But the most amazing thing about him is his work ethic. He’s a great player and a great leader. I’ve challenged him before – it isn’t just about you, it’s about the team. And that’s just his mindset. 

"There’s a generation of young people watching him, but the performances he’s put on the last couple of weeks is contagious. I think the guys feed off it. Best player in the country right here."

2. Ohio State Is A Threat To Win It All

Sometimes, teams need to face a little adversity before they can reach their full potential. For this Buckeyes team, that one-point loss to Texas in Week 2 might end up being the pivotal moment of the season.  

Since then, Ohio State has looked increasingly dominant, and it’s not just because of Smith. Sayin has been poised, consistent and steady under pressure. The Buckeyes' junior quarterback completed 20 of his 27 passing attempts for 324 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday’s win.

Running backs Ja’Kobi Jackson and Bo Jackson have formed a bruising one-two punch in the backfield — Saturday, they combined for 142 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Defensively, Matt Patricia’s unit has been suffocating. The Buckeyes held the Hawkeyes to 39 rushing yards, and late in the third quarter, Jaylen McClain’s interception set up Ja’Kobi Jackson’s touchdown on the ensuing possession to give Ohio State a 31-6 lead.

Simply put, Ohio State may be back to looking like a perennial national championship contender with weapons all over the field.

3. This Loss Will Not Define Iowa's Season

There was plenty of pregame buzz surrounding Iowa ahead of the weekend. The Hawkeyes were undefeated and coming off a statement win on the road over Michigan the previous week, when quarterback Hank Brown capped an epic 91-yard drive by throwing a game-winning 16-yard touchdown pass to Reece Vander Zee.

There were no such heroics against Ohio State. Iowa kept the Buckeyes somewhat in check during the first half by playing gritty, physical, hard-nosed football. But Smith scored a touchdown just before the break and again in the third quarter, while Patricia's defense clicked throughout the second half. Iowa put together a nice scoring drive in the fourth quarter, but by then, the outcome was essentially decided. 

As we enter October, we’ll learn more about which teams are for real and which teams are not. Iowa can certainly bounce back from this – the Hawkeyes are still 4-1 with a favorable schedule ahead. So can teams like No. 8 Florida and No. 16 Mississippi State, who got similar reality checks in Week 5 with losses against No. 25 Missouri and No. 7 Alabama, respectively.

4. Tough Road Ahead For The Buckeyes

Ohio State has been out for blood ever since the Texas loss. The Buckeyes remain one of the favorites to make the College Football Playoff, but the road ahead is about to get tougher. They’ll host Maryland next week before diving into the heart of their schedule with games against No. 6 Indiana, No. 18 USC and No. 15 Oregon. They’ll also have to navigate a sneaky-tough Northwestern team before closing the regular season against (currently unbeaten) Nebraska and arch-rival Michigan.

Iowa, meanwhile, has a much more favorable path. Ohio State was the Hawkeyes’ final ranked opponent of the regular season, leaving them with games against Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Nebraska down the stretch. If Iowa can take care of business, the Hawkeyes could legitimately finish the regular season with just one loss and put themselves in position to make a case for a CFP berth.

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