LOS ANGELES — Jeremiah Smith served discover Monday to Oregon‘s protection if it chooses to play single protection on him or any of the Ohio State receivers.
“I’m simply laughing in my head. Why are y’all actually taking part in man-on-man in opposition to us, or in opposition to me, I ought to say?” Smith stated. “And once we see man [coverage] in opposition to any of our receivers, we’ll take a shot down the sphere.
“So I’m simply letting all people know proper now that in case you play man Wednesday, we’re taking a shot.”
Smith, Ohio State’s dynamic freshman receiver, torched Tennessee with six catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns within the Buckeyes’ 42-17 rout of the Vols within the first spherical of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 21. He was a one-man wrecking crew in opposition to Tennessee’s man protection.
Smith will likely be a focus for Oregon within the Rose Bowl Game offered by Prudential when the 2 groups meet Wednesday in a rematch of their Oct. 12 recreation, gained 32-31 by the Ducks in Eugene.
“They’re going to see a very totally different participant than the final time,” stated Smith, who caught 9 passes for 100 yards and a landing within the first recreation in opposition to Oregon. “Even [receivers] Coach [Brian] Hartline informed me the opposite day that I’m an entire totally different participant from the primary time we performed Oregon till now. It began with understanding the sport plan and figuring out what the protection is attempting to do.”
Smith stated the complete Ohio State crew was “pissed off” concerning the 13-10 house loss to Michigan to finish the common season and performed that manner in opposition to Tennessee. He stated the identical goes for the Buckeyes’ first loss, earlier within the season to Oregon.
“We had been able to get that dangerous style out of our mouth, let all of it free and dominate Tennessee,” Smith stated. “Here’s an opportunity to do it once more.”
It was an “offended” crew that took the sphere in opposition to Tennessee, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard stated.
“And you may see it,” Howard stated. “And I believe once we play like that, we’re onerous to beat, and we’ve got to maintain that very same mentality. I believe that is actually what the distinction was, that anger, [being] pissed off, that chip on our shoulder we performed with, and that is going to be essential on this recreation.”
The identical goes for getting the ball to Smith, who leads the crew in receiving yards (1,037) and landing catches (12). He stated he arrived on campus weighing 208 kilos however is now as much as 225 — and hasn’t misplaced a step.
Senior cornerback Denzel Burke is amazed each time he sees the 6-foot-3 Smith make an opposing cornerback look helpless.
“He’s probably the greatest I’ve seen, and I believe would be the greatest to come back via right here, and I’ve seen quite a lot of nice ones and performed with them,” stated Burke, reeling off the names of NFL receivers Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. “You see all those self same qualities. He’s calm. His work ethic is loopy, and he performs on recreation day.
“He’s simply totally different. He’s a canine. You do not see that in a younger 18-year-old popping out of highschool.”
Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who has been a head coach at each the collegiate and NFL ranks, stated Monday that he has but to see a receiver identical to Smith.
“Not with that mixture of measurement and velocity and talent to catch and talent to trace the ball,” Kelly stated. “There have been another guys smaller that may do it and guys who had been the identical measurement, however they did not run and transfer like him. And then it is his method and mindset that really make him particular.
“We have to drag him again generally in observe. Some guys with that ability set will likely be like, ‘Nah, I’ve bought this.’ But he by no means desires to overlook something. He’s going to proceed to develop as a result of he desires to.”
Smith stated the leaders of the crew, the common and fifth-year seniors, have been those to assist Ohio State climate the storm this season and get the Buckeyes up to now the place they nonetheless have an opportunity to win a nationwide championship regardless of the shut losses to Michigan and Oregon. The loss to the Wolverines was particularly onerous to abdomen. Ohio State was a three-touchdown favourite and has now misplaced 4 straight within the rivalry after profitable eight in a row.
“Nobody desires to lose to [Michigan]. Everybody is aware of that, and I do know the followers hate it. It’s been happening for the final couple of years, and I do know they’re bored with it,” Smith stated. “But we had been going to maneuver ahead, and the leaders on our crew had been going to guarantee that occurred. We had been going to be prepared for whoever we performed first [in the playoff], and I can promise you we’ll be prepared for this recreation and all people else who comes subsequent.”
ESPN’s Pete Thamel contributed to this story.
