The explosive Ohio State Buckeyes offense jumped out to a scalding hot start against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, grabbing a 14–0 lead before the end of the first quarter. No one made more of an impact than Jeremiah Smith, who was unguardable early on.
Smith, a true freshman wide receiver, showcased why he's touted as a future first-round pick in the NFL draft. He torched the Ducks secondary multiple times as he racked up over 100 yards in the first quarter alone, including the game-opening touchdown on Ohio State's very first drive.
Smith racked up five catches, 161 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, proving to be a total matchup nightmare for Dan Lanning's secondary. His performance caught the eye of college football, with plenty of fans and personalities sharing lofty praise for the 19-year-old superstar.
JEREMIAH SMITH IS ABSURD #PMSCFPESPN2 pic.twitter.com/d2oPXjWbHk
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 1, 2025
Jeremiah Smith is football’s version of LeBron James
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 1, 2025
Jeremiah Smith would be WR1 in this draft. He'd be WR1 in next year's draft.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 1, 2025
And he gets to compete with Ryan Williams to be WR1 in his own (2027) draft class.
Jeremiah Smith gives me some Andre Johnson vibes.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 1, 2025
Oregon DBs trying to contain Jeremiah Smith pic.twitter.com/ulRjmyNrEz
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 1, 2025
Why doesn't Oregon cover Jeremiah Smith? Are they stupid?
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 1, 2025
Jeremiah Smith would be the first pick as a true freshman.
— Quincy Avery (@QuincyAvery) January 1, 2025
Throw the ball to Jeremiah Smith literally every play pic.twitter.com/GIr9OBmi7H
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) January 1, 2025
Jeremiah Smith isn’t human. And it’s awfully quiet from the Ryan Day critics. This is a STATEMENT by the Buckeyes!
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) January 1, 2025
Throw it to 4.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2025
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jeremiah Smith's Dominant First Half vs. Oregon Left College Football Fans in Awe.
