“THAT WAS SOMETHING SERIOUS.” Before Ohio State faced UCLA, Jeremiah Smith appeared on the Buckeyes’ status report with a 12-letter word we had never seen next to his name: QUESTIONABLE. Smith was injured, but we didn’t know exactly what it was or how serious it might be. He started for Ohio State against the Bruins but logged just 22 snaps before exiting in the first half.
“Something I never really had to deal with,” Smith said Monday of the injury. “I don’t really be hurt or nothing like that. Nothing really bothers me. But that was something serious I had to deal with.”
Smith later revealed he suffered a quad strain in practice, specifically to his rectus femoris — the prominent, straight muscle at the front of the thigh. According to
WebMD, the website we all consult when a minor ache convinces us we’re near death, the rectus femoris is unique among the quad muscles because it crosses both the hip and knee. Often called the body’s “kicking muscle,” it plays a critical role in straightening the knee and lifting the leg, making it essential for acceleration and sprinting.
Given the pain he experienced, Smith missed the Rutgers game. He wasn’t sure if he would play against Michigan, either.
“I was like, I don’t know if I’m gonna play against the team up north. Like, I was debating if I was going to play or not because it was really bad. I didn't know if I was gonna be able to play,” Smith said. “But I had to do everything for the team. And I wanted to be out there, and I did everything I could, and we got the win.”
Smith, who said he does not regret playing in the UCLA game, also admitted he was less than 100 percent in The Game, but he’s fully healthy now. He’s excited to remind everyone what he can accomplish at full strength. Smith now turns his focus now turns to Miami — and, eventually, another national championship.
“Now it’s time to crank it up a little bit, because now it’s time to win another natty around here,” Smith said.
Ryan Day chases history as a play caller, Jeremiah Smith battled a “serious” quad injury to help Ohio State beat Michigan and Carson Hinzman may have a future in comedy.
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