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By Ellis Williams
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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith produced another record-setting afternoon Saturday, but the team around him took a damaging step backward.
His seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown were not enough to prevent a 41-28 home loss to the Oregon Ducks.
The defeat dropped Ohio State to 6-3 and prompted CBS Sports analyst and former NFL running back Damien Harris to question what the junior could gain by continuing this season. Harris framed his comments as an opinion about Smith’s future, rather than an announcement from the receiver.
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“I don’t think that he plays again the rest of the season for Ohio State,” Harris said during the CBS postgame discussion. “What’s there to play for?”
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Harris argued that Smith had already established himself and won a national championship, while further games would expose him to risk. He did leave room for one possible exception, the Nov. 28 rivalry matchup against Michigan, according to ClutchPoints’ account of his remarks.
Saturday’s result gave that debate an immediate backdrop. Ohio State built a 14-0 first-quarter lead before Oregon scored 38 consecutive points. The Buckeyes went scoreless in the second and third quarters, then added two late touchdowns after the Ducks had taken control.
Smith nevertheless recorded his 16th career 100-yard game, passing former Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. for the program record. That total reflects his production across three seasons, rather than just a big day in a losing effort.
His touchdown also carried historical weight. It was the 41st receiving score of his career, tying the most by any player through his first three collegiate seasons. Ohio State’s official game summary placed him 31 yards short of the Big Ten career receiving-yardage record after the loss.
Ohio State still has Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan left on its regular-season schedule. Smith’s pursuit of the Big Ten receiving record gives those remaining games an individual milestone to watch, even as Harris questions the value of continuing after the Buckeyes’ third loss.
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