Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith just needs to be himself on Saturday, and he just might rewrite the Buckeyes record book.
Saturday in Iowa City could be history for one of the greatest Buckeyes to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is just nine catches and one touchdown away from becoming Ohio State's all-time leader in catches, yards, and touchdowns.
At the beginning of the season, I predicted that Smith would need seven games to get all of the records, but that prediction didn't factor in a four-touchdown game anywhere during the season.
His game last week, when he had 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns, was one of the most dominant performances that he has ever had and that Buckeye fans have seen in a very long time. Might be the most dominant performance that we see for the foreseeable future.
It is pretty wild to say that Smith likely just needs an average game to achieve the record, but with the way that he is playing right now, he really just needs a normal Jeremiah Smith performance for him to reset the record books in Columbus.
As for the game, this is going to be a challenge for Smith and the Buckeyes' pass offense to get going. Iowa has one of the best passing defenses in the country, ranking 21st in the country in both completion percentage surrendered and yards per game at 168 yards per contest.
Now, context is always important, and for the Hawkeyes, these numbers are heavily weighted towards the two games that they played against Northern Illinois and Northern Iowa.
Against Michigan, the Wolverines struggling quarterback Bryce Underwood looked his best that he has to date in his career, and it was against this Hawkeyes defense. The numbers are daunting, but there will be times when the Buckeyes can take advantage of the Hawkeyes through the air, and they have to do it.
For Ohio State to win the football game, they'll need a solid game from Smith. He doesnt have to be the superhero that he was last week against Illinois, but he does have to be really good for the Buckeyes to get the job done.
With that said, it is going to take a total team effort from Ohio State on Saturday. Every facet of their team needs to show up, and if they do, Ohio State won't have any issues. If they don't, they will find themselves in a dogfight against a really gritty team.
Whatever happens, it is more than likely that Jeremiah Smith will own the Buckeyes' all-time triple crown by the end of it.
