Jeremiah Smith's Rose Bowl beat down exposes a weakness that the Oregon Ducks must address before next season
The Oregon Ducks entered the Rose Bowl full of momentum. The No. 1 team in the country and the only undefeated squad in college football. And then Jeremiah Smith happened. Smith, the best wide receiver in the country as only a true freshman, is already set for the NFL. If he was eligible in this year's […]
The Oregon Ducks entered the Rose Bowl full of momentum. The No. 1 team in the country and the only undefeated squad in college football. And then Jeremiah Smith happened.
Smith, the best wide receiver in the country as only a true freshman, is already set for the NFL. If he was eligible in this year's draft, he'd go in the first round. Already. At 19-years old. At 6'3" 215 lbs with long arms and huge, vice-grip hands to go along with absurd athleticism and body control, he's a rare talent.
Ohio State opened the game by getting the ball into Smith's hands early and often, to incredible success. By the early second quarter, Smith had 161 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
It's rare that a single player takes over a game of this magnitude, but that's exactly what Jeremiah Smith did.
Smith has thought often about the defensive pass interference call that he drew late in the early season matchup against the Oregon Ducks, but the phenom is a different player now than he was three months ago. Smith broke Ohio State freshman receiving records, by a lot. Smith had 63 receptions for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns entering the Rose Bowl, breaking Cris Carter's records for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He's truly a rare talent
Oregon got wrecked in a multitude of ways, but the onslaught from Jeremiah Smith did them in early. It was clear that size and physicality at the cornerback position is a major area of concern for this team going forward, especially knowing they'll be lining up across from Smith for two more seasons. The Ducks and Dan Lanning will head to the offseason and take a long look in the mirror to figure out where they go from here.
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
