ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 31: Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes warms up prior to a game against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 31: Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes warms up prior to a game against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) Getty

This certainly isn’t the norm for Ohio State.

Fox broadcaster Gus Johnson has implored them early in their game at Indiana to throw the ball to Jeremiah Smith, the superstar wide receiver who is in contention for the Heisman Trophy.

They haven’t done it, though.

OSU is kicking and punting and not finding the end zone early in their game in Bloomington.

And in the early stages, Smith has been entirely shut out.

Is Jeremiah Smith Playing Today?

Yes, Smith is active and healthy and on the field.

He’s out there in his usual No. 4 jersey.

Just in the early going, Smith isn’t getting the football thrown to him.

Why Isn’t Jeremiah Smith Getting Targets?

Smith and the Buckeyes’ passing offense aren’t off to a great start.

Through the first 13 minutes of the game, QB Julian Sayin had only completed 4-of-10 passes.

Two of those had gone to tight end Mason Williams for 45 yards.

One went to WR Devin McCuin for 16 yards.

And one went to WR Brandon Inniss for 6 yards.

Smith has been running a route on every pass play, but he’s just not getting open at the right time for Sayin in the early going.

The tough part of the Indiana matchup isn’t that they’ll do anything different. Every opponent is double or even triple-teaming Smith.

The difference is that the No. 5 Hoosiers have top-notch defensive talent. Maybe they can’t guard Smith 1-on-1, but they have the defenders to properly execute the double-team scheme in a way that lesser teams might not.

Sayin is likely making smart decisions early and not forcing the ball to Smith.

But when OSU gets in trouble, forcing the ball to Smith is often the best option.

He may be starting slow, but it’d be a shock if he was held quiet all day long.

Smith’s stat lines this season look like this:

  • 8 catches, 151 yards, 2 TDs
  • 8 catches, 164 yards, 1 TD
  • 5 catches, 85 yards
  • 12 catches, 217 yards, 4 TDs
  • 11 catches, 206 yards, 2 TDs
  • 4 catches, 93 yards, 2 TDs

If Smith hasn’t done something early, it certainly doesn’t mean the production won’t come fast and furious soon enough.

But if Indiana does happen to hold Smith in check, it would go a long way toward a Hoosiers milestone victory in Bloomington on Saturday.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

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Source: Yahoo Sports