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LGHL Irrational Overreactions: Smith is ‘best’ WR in OSU history, 2nd team d-line needs to play more
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Irrational Overreactions: Smith is ‘best’ WR in OSU history, 2nd team d-line needs to play more
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Dale Young-Imagn Images
Also, I love me some Chip Kelly offense.
Take that, Danny Kanell. Last night, the Ohio State Buckeyes beat somebody with a pulse as they overcame a little early-game rockiness to blast past the Michigan State Spartans 38-7. OSU pulled its starters early in the fourth quarter, so that score very well could have been much more if Ryan Day and company had wanted to.
I continue to be thoroughly impressed with this team; while not a finished product, it is fun, exciting, and insanely multifaceted on both sides of the ball. There are things that obviously need improving, but nearly doubling a good Big Ten team in terms of total yardage is never a bad thing.
Being a fan is a fickle proposition. We allow our emotions to rob us of reason; instead, we ride the wave of emotions that percolate with every first down, missed tackle, penalty, or bone-headed play. So, I am here shortly after the game to get my unreasonable overreactions out so that I can instead focus on more productive ways to break down the game.
Following last night’s game, I wrote a quick column about the ridiculousness that is Jeremiah Smith. By now you have seen both of his insane one-handed catches in the last minute of the first half (if not, enjoy the touchdown grab below), but is it too early to wonder aloud if he is already the best receiver in Ohio State history?
It probably — almost certainly — is, but let me clarify a little bit. When discussing “best” and “greatest” in sports terms, I don’t view those words as wholly synonymous. To me, “best” refers to physical talent; the things someone can do. While “greatest” combines a heaping helping of “best,” but also factors in things like importance, accomplishments, longevity, history, and more.
That’s why I continue to argue with my dad that LeBron James is the best basketball player in NBA history, while Michael Jordan is the greatest.
So, while I am not yet stacking Smith’s career up against those of Cris Carter, David Boston, Joey Galloway, Ted Ginn Jr., Terry Glenn, Marvin Harrison Jr., Santonio Holmes, Michael Jenkins, Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Garrett Wilson, or any of the other all-time greats that I certainly forgot (and yes, those are in alphabetical order as to not show favoritism), but I do think that we can ask the question about whether J.J. Smith is the best when it comes to our physical gifts and abilities.
Before the season, we were told that Smith had been clocked at 23.18 mph. For reference, According to NBC, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf (who is thrown the ball by Jeremiah’s cousin Geno) is the fastest player in the NFL, clocking in at 22.23 mph. Now, to get a like-for-like comparison, you’d want Smith’s time to be independently verified, but if it was, that means that he’s almost a full mile per hour faster than the fastest guy in the National Football League... despite being just 18 years old.
And when you throw in the fact that he can do things like this:
you realize that he has truly been gifted with prodigious skills far beyond that of even the most freakish athletes in the world. In just four collegiate games, Smith has shown a preternatural ability to make plays no matter the circumstance. While the play highlighted above might be the prettier of the two from last night, the first of his one-handed grabs might be even more impressive.
While being double-covered, Smith turned his body while in mid-air, quietly skying up between two DBs. Once he had squared his shoulders to the ball, it is clear on the replay that he was initially planning to catch it with two hands, but, for whatever reason — perhaps he mistimed the jump, the ball sailed a bit more than he anticipated, he momentarily lost it in the lights, whatever — he realized at the last second that his only chance of making the catch was with his right hand alone. So, he calmly did just that, plucking the ball out of the air as if what he had just done was your ordinary, routine, everyday catch. Seriously, check out his face after the play. No excitement, no celebration, not even any intense focus, since time was running down on the half. Just, a guy who did something extraordinary who does extraordinary things every day.
So, J.J. has a ways to go before being the “greatest” Buckeye wide receiver ever, but through just four games, I think that there is a legitimate argument to be made that he is already the ”best.”
The saying is that variety is the spice of life, but when it comes to college football, it might be the thing that makes a team unstoppable. I have long maintained that Ryan Day was once an elite play-caller — and could continue to be if it wasn't for that pesky head coaching thing. However, the fact that Chip Kelly is now the man coordinating the offense should make every Buckeye (and unbiased college football) fan giddy with excitement.
I am not an Xs and Os expert when it comes to football, but with a layman’s eye, it is obvious that the types of things that this offense is being asked to are so much more diverse than they had been in the latter part of Day’s tenure calling plays.
Smith got his first rushing touchdown (and attempt) last night on a reverse, which was fun, but to my untrained eye, I think you can see it most of all in the traditional run game. We all know that in terms of talent, the Buckeye offensive line is probably at the bottom of the pecking order, however, I do think that they have done incredibly well in pass protection this season. So, Chip is using his years of schematic creativity to put them in positions in the run game to open up holes for the best backfield duo in college football.
Rather than simply lining up and hoping that the o-line’s size alone will allow them to open holes, Kelly is using misdirection, pulls, and traps (great “Star Wars” reference in the tweet from Eleven Warriors’ Kyle Jones below) to get the most out of the run game.
But it’s more than that; this offense has proven that it can do just about anything it wants. They have proven the ability to move the ball with short, quick passes, as it did to open the game last night. They have proven the ability to hit home runs deep downfield in the passing game, as it has done throughout the season. The running backs have proven capable of matching the receivers in turning in massive chunk plays while also running incredibly physically when they need to get through contact to pick up first downs.
Last night, Will Howard also walked into the end zone on a designed quarterback keeper — after he said last week that he was looking forward to showing more of his running ability. There is just so much that this offense has already shown that it is capable of, that it can’t help but get you excited for what else you know that Chip Kelly has up his sleeves waiting to be pulled out at the most opportune moment.
Last night against Michigan State, the defensive linemen who had the best pressure grades from Pro Football Focus were Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald; and if you want to lump Mitchell Melton into the defensive line (though he’s technically a linebacker), those are your top three.
Of course, there are obvious caveats about who they were lined up against and when they were on the field, but it is difficult to watch the Ohio State defense and not notice an extra spark when those guys are on the field. When you throw in guys like Jason Moore, Hero Kanu, and Tywone Malone (although PFF was not kind to him last night), there just seems to be something both intangible, but palpable when they get playing time. I should say that I feel something similar when Tyleik Williams is in the game, but Ohio State’s best defensive lineman (at least in my opinion) was out for the second consecutive game. Even though he was active and dressed for the game, with four consecutive games against the toughest four teams on your schedule outside of Michigan, I’m fine not risking him against Michigan State.
Jack Sawyer graded out well, and I think he continues to deserve a lot of the attention he carried over from the end of last season, but it just feels like him, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Ty Hamilton are collectively fine most of the time, with moments of brilliance and incompetence sprinkled in.
Now, I understand that the design of this defense is often to have the defensive line eat up blockers so that the linebackers and safeties can make plays, and that’s all well and good, but it seems to me that the backups have a lot more flash, explosion, and tenacity while doing it.
Maybe in my schematic ignorance, this is just me falling in love with the backups — which is a favorite college football pastime the nation over — but I think that there is tremendous upside to allowing these guys to take more snaps. At this point, we know what both the floor and ceiling are for the first team line, and while the floor might be lower (though I’m not sure about that) for Hero, Caden, Kayden, Tywone, Jason, Mitchell, et. al, the ceiling has to be higher, right? So why not throw them in a bit more — either individually or together — against top opponents over the next four weeks and see if both the ceiling and floor are much higher up than we even imagined.
Ohio State is the best and most complete team in the country.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Dale Young-Imagn Images
Also, I love me some Chip Kelly offense.
Take that, Danny Kanell. Last night, the Ohio State Buckeyes beat somebody with a pulse as they overcame a little early-game rockiness to blast past the Michigan State Spartans 38-7. OSU pulled its starters early in the fourth quarter, so that score very well could have been much more if Ryan Day and company had wanted to.
I continue to be thoroughly impressed with this team; while not a finished product, it is fun, exciting, and insanely multifaceted on both sides of the ball. There are things that obviously need improving, but nearly doubling a good Big Ten team in terms of total yardage is never a bad thing.
Being a fan is a fickle proposition. We allow our emotions to rob us of reason; instead, we ride the wave of emotions that percolate with every first down, missed tackle, penalty, or bone-headed play. So, I am here shortly after the game to get my unreasonable overreactions out so that I can instead focus on more productive ways to break down the game.
Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver in Ohio State history
Following last night’s game, I wrote a quick column about the ridiculousness that is Jeremiah Smith. By now you have seen both of his insane one-handed catches in the last minute of the first half (if not, enjoy the touchdown grab below), but is it too early to wonder aloud if he is already the best receiver in Ohio State history?
It probably — almost certainly — is, but let me clarify a little bit. When discussing “best” and “greatest” in sports terms, I don’t view those words as wholly synonymous. To me, “best” refers to physical talent; the things someone can do. While “greatest” combines a heaping helping of “best,” but also factors in things like importance, accomplishments, longevity, history, and more.
That’s why I continue to argue with my dad that LeBron James is the best basketball player in NBA history, while Michael Jordan is the greatest.
So, while I am not yet stacking Smith’s career up against those of Cris Carter, David Boston, Joey Galloway, Ted Ginn Jr., Terry Glenn, Marvin Harrison Jr., Santonio Holmes, Michael Jenkins, Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Garrett Wilson, or any of the other all-time greats that I certainly forgot (and yes, those are in alphabetical order as to not show favoritism), but I do think that we can ask the question about whether J.J. Smith is the best when it comes to our physical gifts and abilities.
Before the season, we were told that Smith had been clocked at 23.18 mph. For reference, According to NBC, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf (who is thrown the ball by Jeremiah’s cousin Geno) is the fastest player in the NFL, clocking in at 22.23 mph. Now, to get a like-for-like comparison, you’d want Smith’s time to be independently verified, but if it was, that means that he’s almost a full mile per hour faster than the fastest guy in the National Football League... despite being just 18 years old.
And when you throw in the fact that he can do things like this:
you realize that he has truly been gifted with prodigious skills far beyond that of even the most freakish athletes in the world. In just four collegiate games, Smith has shown a preternatural ability to make plays no matter the circumstance. While the play highlighted above might be the prettier of the two from last night, the first of his one-handed grabs might be even more impressive.
While being double-covered, Smith turned his body while in mid-air, quietly skying up between two DBs. Once he had squared his shoulders to the ball, it is clear on the replay that he was initially planning to catch it with two hands, but, for whatever reason — perhaps he mistimed the jump, the ball sailed a bit more than he anticipated, he momentarily lost it in the lights, whatever — he realized at the last second that his only chance of making the catch was with his right hand alone. So, he calmly did just that, plucking the ball out of the air as if what he had just done was your ordinary, routine, everyday catch. Seriously, check out his face after the play. No excitement, no celebration, not even any intense focus, since time was running down on the half. Just, a guy who did something extraordinary who does extraordinary things every day.
So, J.J. has a ways to go before being the “greatest” Buckeye wide receiver ever, but through just four games, I think that there is a legitimate argument to be made that he is already the ”best.”
Ohio State’s offense is unstoppable
The saying is that variety is the spice of life, but when it comes to college football, it might be the thing that makes a team unstoppable. I have long maintained that Ryan Day was once an elite play-caller — and could continue to be if it wasn't for that pesky head coaching thing. However, the fact that Chip Kelly is now the man coordinating the offense should make every Buckeye (and unbiased college football) fan giddy with excitement.
I am not an Xs and Os expert when it comes to football, but with a layman’s eye, it is obvious that the types of things that this offense is being asked to are so much more diverse than they had been in the latter part of Day’s tenure calling plays.
Smith got his first rushing touchdown (and attempt) last night on a reverse, which was fun, but to my untrained eye, I think you can see it most of all in the traditional run game. We all know that in terms of talent, the Buckeye offensive line is probably at the bottom of the pecking order, however, I do think that they have done incredibly well in pass protection this season. So, Chip is using his years of schematic creativity to put them in positions in the run game to open up holes for the best backfield duo in college football.
Rather than simply lining up and hoping that the o-line’s size alone will allow them to open holes, Kelly is using misdirection, pulls, and traps (great “Star Wars” reference in the tweet from Eleven Warriors’ Kyle Jones below) to get the most out of the run game.
But it’s more than that; this offense has proven that it can do just about anything it wants. They have proven the ability to move the ball with short, quick passes, as it did to open the game last night. They have proven the ability to hit home runs deep downfield in the passing game, as it has done throughout the season. The running backs have proven capable of matching the receivers in turning in massive chunk plays while also running incredibly physically when they need to get through contact to pick up first downs.
Last night, Will Howard also walked into the end zone on a designed quarterback keeper — after he said last week that he was looking forward to showing more of his running ability. There is just so much that this offense has already shown that it is capable of, that it can’t help but get you excited for what else you know that Chip Kelly has up his sleeves waiting to be pulled out at the most opportune moment.
Is OSUs’ backup defensive line better than the first team (other than Tyleik)?
Last night against Michigan State, the defensive linemen who had the best pressure grades from Pro Football Focus were Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald; and if you want to lump Mitchell Melton into the defensive line (though he’s technically a linebacker), those are your top three.
Of course, there are obvious caveats about who they were lined up against and when they were on the field, but it is difficult to watch the Ohio State defense and not notice an extra spark when those guys are on the field. When you throw in guys like Jason Moore, Hero Kanu, and Tywone Malone (although PFF was not kind to him last night), there just seems to be something both intangible, but palpable when they get playing time. I should say that I feel something similar when Tyleik Williams is in the game, but Ohio State’s best defensive lineman (at least in my opinion) was out for the second consecutive game. Even though he was active and dressed for the game, with four consecutive games against the toughest four teams on your schedule outside of Michigan, I’m fine not risking him against Michigan State.
Jack Sawyer graded out well, and I think he continues to deserve a lot of the attention he carried over from the end of last season, but it just feels like him, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Ty Hamilton are collectively fine most of the time, with moments of brilliance and incompetence sprinkled in.
Now, I understand that the design of this defense is often to have the defensive line eat up blockers so that the linebackers and safeties can make plays, and that’s all well and good, but it seems to me that the backups have a lot more flash, explosion, and tenacity while doing it.
Maybe in my schematic ignorance, this is just me falling in love with the backups — which is a favorite college football pastime the nation over — but I think that there is tremendous upside to allowing these guys to take more snaps. At this point, we know what both the floor and ceiling are for the first team line, and while the floor might be lower (though I’m not sure about that) for Hero, Caden, Kayden, Tywone, Jason, Mitchell, et. al, the ceiling has to be higher, right? So why not throw them in a bit more — either individually or together — against top opponents over the next four weeks and see if both the ceiling and floor are much higher up than we even imagined.
One bonus one that I will not be elaborating on at this time...
Ohio State is the best and most complete team in the country.
Continue reading...
LGHL All the news from Ohio State’s 38-7 win over MSU; Smith thrills with otherworldly catches
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All the news from Ohio State’s 38-7 win over MSU; Smith thrills with otherworldly catches
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Ohio State Wins Big Ten Opener in East Lansing, 38-7
Ohio State Athletics
An interception and a big hit don’t deter QB Howard in Buckeyes’ win
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Starts Big Ten Play with 38-7 Win over Michigan State
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Answering The Questions: Buckeyes gradually gain control, turn back MSU in B1G opener
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
No. 3 Buckeyes cruise past Michigan State 38-7 in their first conference game of 2024
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25649117/2174603651.jpg "Ohio State v Michigan State")
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
Ryan Day postgame: Everything Ohio State coach said after win over Michigan State
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Ryan Day explains why DT Tyleik Williams didn’t play versus Spartans
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Michigan State Coach Jonathan Smith: ”38-7 Isn’t That Close” After Falling to Ohio State at Home, Says of Buckeye Defense, “You Got to Choose Between Pressure with One-on-Ones.”
George Eisner, Eleven Warriors
Ohio State vs. Michigan State: Photos
Ohio State Athletics
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25649103/Screenshot_2024_09_29_at_9.43.58_AM.png)
5 things we learned from Ohio State’s win at Michigan State
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Three Key Stats: Jeremiah Smith Scores Through the Air and On the Ground, Ohio State Defense Totals Four Sacks and Allows Only 65 Yards to Michigan State in the Second Half
George Eisner, Eleven Warriors
Moment of the Game: There are no words to accurately describe Jeremiah Smith
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs help knock out Michigan State in East Lansing
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting The Eyes
‘I couldn’t believe he caught it:’ Jeremiah Smith shines in Big Ten, road debut
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Jeremiah Smith’s Rapid Emergence As Superstar Continues with Two Touchdowns, Two One-Handed Catches in First Big Ten Game
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Jeremiah Smith astonishes in Big Ten debut, records multiple highlight-reel catches for Ohio State
Carter Bahns, 247Sports
Downs, Smith come to Ohio State’s rescue
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25649109/usa_today_24355418.jpg "NCAA Football: Ohio State at Michigan State")
Dale Young-Imagn Images
Snap Judgments: Buckeyes claim decisive win at Michigan State in B1G opener
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Instant opinions: Spartans learn how costly mistakes can be vs. OSU
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Wins Situational Battle Over Michigan State With Fourth-Down Execution, Turnover Margin
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
5 thoughts on Caleb Downs, Ohio State’s dirty work in win vs. Sparty
Bill Landis, Dotting The Eyes
Quick Takes: Jeremiah Smith, defensive adjustments propel Buckeyes to win at Michigan State
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
First thoughts: Buckeyes overcome sloppy first half, rout Michigan State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Recapping Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Michigan State
Ohio State Wins Big Ten Opener in East Lansing, 38-7
Ohio State Athletics
An interception and a big hit don’t deter QB Howard in Buckeyes’ win
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Starts Big Ten Play with 38-7 Win over Michigan State
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Answering The Questions: Buckeyes gradually gain control, turn back MSU in B1G opener
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
No. 3 Buckeyes cruise past Michigan State 38-7 in their first conference game of 2024
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
News From Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Michigan State
Ryan Day postgame: Everything Ohio State coach said after win over Michigan State
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Ryan Day explains why DT Tyleik Williams didn’t play versus Spartans
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Michigan State Coach Jonathan Smith: ”38-7 Isn’t That Close” After Falling to Ohio State at Home, Says of Buckeye Defense, “You Got to Choose Between Pressure with One-on-Ones.”
George Eisner, Eleven Warriors
Ohio State vs. Michigan State: Photos
Ohio State Athletics
Analyzing Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Michigan State
5 things we learned from Ohio State’s win at Michigan State
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Three Key Stats: Jeremiah Smith Scores Through the Air and On the Ground, Ohio State Defense Totals Four Sacks and Allows Only 65 Yards to Michigan State in the Second Half
George Eisner, Eleven Warriors
Looking at the Performances from Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Michigan State
Moment of the Game: There are no words to accurately describe Jeremiah Smith
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs help knock out Michigan State in East Lansing
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting The Eyes
‘I couldn’t believe he caught it:’ Jeremiah Smith shines in Big Ten, road debut
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Jeremiah Smith’s Rapid Emergence As Superstar Continues with Two Touchdowns, Two One-Handed Catches in First Big Ten Game
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Jeremiah Smith astonishes in Big Ten debut, records multiple highlight-reel catches for Ohio State
Carter Bahns, 247Sports
Downs, Smith come to Ohio State’s rescue
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
Opinions From Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Michigan State
Snap Judgments: Buckeyes claim decisive win at Michigan State in B1G opener
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Instant opinions: Spartans learn how costly mistakes can be vs. OSU
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Wins Situational Battle Over Michigan State With Fourth-Down Execution, Turnover Margin
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
5 thoughts on Caleb Downs, Ohio State’s dirty work in win vs. Sparty
Bill Landis, Dotting The Eyes
Quick Takes: Jeremiah Smith, defensive adjustments propel Buckeyes to win at Michigan State
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
First thoughts: Buckeyes overcome sloppy first half, rout Michigan State
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Continue reading...
LGHL Moment of the Game: There are no words to accurately describe Jeremiah Smith
- News
- 0 Replies
Moment of the Game: There are no words to accurately describe Jeremiah Smith
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Dale Young-Imagn Images
With two one-handed catches in the course five plays, we are not worthy of J.J.’s skills.
Magnificent. Wonderful. Marvelous. Remarkable. Breathtaking. Incredible. Spectacular. Amazing. Dazzling.
Those are all words that could be used to describe Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but they don’t come anywhere close to being specific enough to describe just how good the true freshman is.
Prodigious. Astonishing. Incomprehensible. Astounding. Sensational. Miraculous. Fantastic. Phenomenal. Exceptional.
Nope. Those still don’t cut it.
We already knew that Smith was special, but his seemingly back-to-back one-handed catches in the second quarter of Ohio State’s 38-7 win over the Michigan State Spartans were mind-boggling. Both came in the final minute of the first half and despite both being of the one-handed variety, they showed all of the different talents that the 18-year-old brings to the field.
On the night, he had five receptions for 83 yards receiving and 19 yards rushing. He added two touchdowns, one receiving (which we will talk about below) and one on the ground, the first of his career.
The first came with 50 seconds remaining and the Buckeyes at the Spartans’ 44-yard line up 17-7. Quarterback Will Howard had a clean pocket and wanted to get the ball downfield, so he locked on the best wide receiver in college football and threw it in Smith’s general direction. Even though there were two defenders in the vicinity, the freshman skied over MSU defensive backs Malik Spencer and Ed Woods to snag the ball with his right hand.
Then, despite being hit, he pulled it into his body securing a 27-yard completion to get the Buckeyes to the 17.
After two incompletions and a shot that knocked Howard out of the game, Devin Brown came in and threw a pass that resulted in one of the most eye-popping catches you will see in college football all season.
On 3rd-and-10 with 34 seconds remaining before halftime, Smith released off of the line, and seemingly looped around Woods looking for a fade to the end zone. However, before the Buckeye receiver had even cleared the MSU defender, Brown threw the ball to where he knew Smith would be.
It was a little bit in front of him, but it was in a position that either Smith was going to catch it, or it would be an incompletion rather than an interception. Unsurprisingly, the latter was what ended up happening and Smith did it in the most otherworldly way.
In full stride, Smith reached out his right arm and with hands like a vice grip, caught the ball with one hand and continued running into the end zone to put the Buckeyes up 24-7.
We called Marvin Harrison an alien, and after the first game, I wondered what superlative we should bestow upon his replacement in the rotation. But now that we are four games into his collegiate career, I’m not sure that we should even bother coming up with a silly little way to describe J.J., because nothing we decide on will do him justice. Smith has defied not only expectations in his first four games but history as well.
Through four games, Smith has 364 yards and 5 receiving touchdowns on 19 receptions. That’s in four games. Ohio State’s freshmen receiving records were set by Cris Carter in 1984. Those marks, which will be eclipsed this year barring anything unforeseen, are 41 catches, 648 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
Jeremiah Smith is electric, he’s stupendous, he’s awe-inspiring, he’s fabulous, he’s thrillifying, he’s amazeballs, he’s scrumdiddlyumptious. Don’t believe me? Take another look at this week’s moment of the game.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Dale Young-Imagn Images
With two one-handed catches in the course five plays, we are not worthy of J.J.’s skills.
Magnificent. Wonderful. Marvelous. Remarkable. Breathtaking. Incredible. Spectacular. Amazing. Dazzling.
Those are all words that could be used to describe Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but they don’t come anywhere close to being specific enough to describe just how good the true freshman is.
Prodigious. Astonishing. Incomprehensible. Astounding. Sensational. Miraculous. Fantastic. Phenomenal. Exceptional.
Nope. Those still don’t cut it.
We already knew that Smith was special, but his seemingly back-to-back one-handed catches in the second quarter of Ohio State’s 38-7 win over the Michigan State Spartans were mind-boggling. Both came in the final minute of the first half and despite both being of the one-handed variety, they showed all of the different talents that the 18-year-old brings to the field.
On the night, he had five receptions for 83 yards receiving and 19 yards rushing. He added two touchdowns, one receiving (which we will talk about below) and one on the ground, the first of his career.
The first came with 50 seconds remaining and the Buckeyes at the Spartans’ 44-yard line up 17-7. Quarterback Will Howard had a clean pocket and wanted to get the ball downfield, so he locked on the best wide receiver in college football and threw it in Smith’s general direction. Even though there were two defenders in the vicinity, the freshman skied over MSU defensive backs Malik Spencer and Ed Woods to snag the ball with his right hand.
Then, despite being hit, he pulled it into his body securing a 27-yard completion to get the Buckeyes to the 17.
After two incompletions and a shot that knocked Howard out of the game, Devin Brown came in and threw a pass that resulted in one of the most eye-popping catches you will see in college football all season.
On 3rd-and-10 with 34 seconds remaining before halftime, Smith released off of the line, and seemingly looped around Woods looking for a fade to the end zone. However, before the Buckeye receiver had even cleared the MSU defender, Brown threw the ball to where he knew Smith would be.
It was a little bit in front of him, but it was in a position that either Smith was going to catch it, or it would be an incompletion rather than an interception. Unsurprisingly, the latter was what ended up happening and Smith did it in the most otherworldly way.
In full stride, Smith reached out his right arm and with hands like a vice grip, caught the ball with one hand and continued running into the end zone to put the Buckeyes up 24-7.
We called Marvin Harrison an alien, and after the first game, I wondered what superlative we should bestow upon his replacement in the rotation. But now that we are four games into his collegiate career, I’m not sure that we should even bother coming up with a silly little way to describe J.J., because nothing we decide on will do him justice. Smith has defied not only expectations in his first four games but history as well.
Through four games, Smith has 364 yards and 5 receiving touchdowns on 19 receptions. That’s in four games. Ohio State’s freshmen receiving records were set by Cris Carter in 1984. Those marks, which will be eclipsed this year barring anything unforeseen, are 41 catches, 648 yards, and 8 touchdowns.
Jeremiah Smith is electric, he’s stupendous, he’s awe-inspiring, he’s fabulous, he’s thrillifying, he’s amazeballs, he’s scrumdiddlyumptious. Don’t believe me? Take another look at this week’s moment of the game.
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LGHL Tailgate Podcast: Everything you need to know to watch Ohio State vs. Michigan State
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Tailgate Podcast: Everything you need to know to watch Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatc / USA TODAY NETWORK
The only Ohio State game day podcast you need.
Before every Ohio State football game, Matt Tamanini will get you ready with all of the information that you need for that day’s game on the “Land-Grant Tailgate” podcast.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
TV: Peacock
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM
I know that a lot of people got pretty worked up about OSU’s sloppy play on defense and special teams last week, and while I admit that they were far from perfect, I did not come out of the Marshall game — or the preseason as a whole — feeling anything but excited and optimistic about what the season might hold for the team.
For the first time in 2024, the Buckeyes are going up a team with a competent defense. MSU’s stats on that side of the ball are relatively impressive, but they have come againt four opponents – Florida Atlantic, Maryland, Prairie View, and Boston College – who rank 125th, 25th, and 81st in total offense amongst FBS teams. Now, you might have noticed that I only mentioned three rankings; that’s because Prairie View is an FCS team. Sparty held them to a total of 140 yards, with only 17 of them coming on the ground. So while the totals as a whole are impressive, they did have a little bit of a bump from a 1-2 squad from a lower division.
The Terps, who are the lone competent offense on MSU’s schedule, put up just 339 yards of total offense, so that’s a good game for Sparty, but I’m not jumping to the conclusion that Michigan State is a dominant defensive team. In fact, I think that the Buckeyes will expose them a bit today.
In fact, I believe that Chip Kelly’s offense will double what MSU is giving up in terms of yards and points per game tonight. Coming into tonight’s matchup, Michigan State is allowing 254.8 yards and 14.3 points per game. So, I predict that the Buckeyes will have at least 510 yards of offense, and considerably more than 29 points tonight.
I also think that there’s a distinct possibility that OSU doubles both MSU’s rushing and passing yards allowed totals. To do so, they would need 194 yards on the ground and 316 through the air. It might be a little crazy, but I’m gonna do it.
Will Howard will throw for over 300 yards for the first time as a Buckeye, including three TD passes and a rushing touchdown. And Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will both rush for over 100 yards and will each have a score.
I also imagine Tyleik Williams will have a big day, notching four tackles for loss, and the OSU defense will have two interceptions of Aiden Chiles.
Will Howard: Over 300 yards passing, 3 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD
TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins: Both over 100 yards rushing and 1 touchdown
Tyleik Williams: 3 tackles for loss
OSU Defense: 2 interceptions
Connect with Matt Tamanini
Online Portfolio: authory.com/MattTamanini
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatc / USA TODAY NETWORK
The only Ohio State game day podcast you need.
Before every Ohio State football game, Matt Tamanini will get you ready with all of the information that you need for that day’s game on the “Land-Grant Tailgate” podcast.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (-23.5) vs. Michigan State | over/under 48.5
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
TV: Peacock
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM
I know that a lot of people got pretty worked up about OSU’s sloppy play on defense and special teams last week, and while I admit that they were far from perfect, I did not come out of the Marshall game — or the preseason as a whole — feeling anything but excited and optimistic about what the season might hold for the team.
For the first time in 2024, the Buckeyes are going up a team with a competent defense. MSU’s stats on that side of the ball are relatively impressive, but they have come againt four opponents – Florida Atlantic, Maryland, Prairie View, and Boston College – who rank 125th, 25th, and 81st in total offense amongst FBS teams. Now, you might have noticed that I only mentioned three rankings; that’s because Prairie View is an FCS team. Sparty held them to a total of 140 yards, with only 17 of them coming on the ground. So while the totals as a whole are impressive, they did have a little bit of a bump from a 1-2 squad from a lower division.
The Terps, who are the lone competent offense on MSU’s schedule, put up just 339 yards of total offense, so that’s a good game for Sparty, but I’m not jumping to the conclusion that Michigan State is a dominant defensive team. In fact, I think that the Buckeyes will expose them a bit today.
In fact, I believe that Chip Kelly’s offense will double what MSU is giving up in terms of yards and points per game tonight. Coming into tonight’s matchup, Michigan State is allowing 254.8 yards and 14.3 points per game. So, I predict that the Buckeyes will have at least 510 yards of offense, and considerably more than 29 points tonight.
I also think that there’s a distinct possibility that OSU doubles both MSU’s rushing and passing yards allowed totals. To do so, they would need 194 yards on the ground and 316 through the air. It might be a little crazy, but I’m gonna do it.
Will Howard will throw for over 300 yards for the first time as a Buckeye, including three TD passes and a rushing touchdown. And Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will both rush for over 100 yards and will each have a score.
I also imagine Tyleik Williams will have a big day, notching four tackles for loss, and the OSU defense will have two interceptions of Aiden Chiles.
Matt’s Predictions: Ohio State 42, Michigan State 6
Will Howard: Over 300 yards passing, 3 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD
TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins: Both over 100 yards rushing and 1 touchdown
Tyleik Williams: 3 tackles for loss
OSU Defense: 2 interceptions
Connect with Matt Tamanini
Online Portfolio: authory.com/MattTamanini
Music by: epidemicsound.com
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