The Ohio State Buckeyes entered 2025 with visions of the program’s first ever back-to-back national championships, and a perfect 12-0 regular season did nothing to temper those expectations. Then came two gut-punch losses to end the year. The Indiana Hoosiers clipped Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship game on a late missed field goal. In the college football playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl, the Buckeyes fell to the Miami Hurricanes 24-14 after falling behind 14-0, dashing any hopes of repeating as national champions.

Ohio State appears loaded again in 2026 for another run at the title. The Buckeyes will for sure get a shot at half of their revenge tour, with the Hoosiers on the schedule on Oct. 17. But a clash with the Hurricanes would require a playoff rematch. The motivation for payback is real for Smith, and he made it clear which opponent he wants to beat the most out of the two.

Jeremiah Smith has unfinished business with the Hurricanes

Star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was asked by Bud Elliott of the Cover 3 podcast at Big Ten Media Days this week which team he’d most like to get revenge against. For the South Florida native, the answer was simple: the Miami Hurricanes.

“Got to be the hometown team,” Smith said. “Miami. Got to be. I heard it a lot every time I went back home. Got to be Miami. Got to.”

The connection between Smith and Miami runs deep. The Hurricanes recruited the South Florida product heavily. The Canes were close to flipping Smith, but he ultimately stuck with his commitment to Ohio State, and that decision has kept a thread tied between him and the Canes ever since.

Losing to Miami in the Cotton Bowl only tightened that thread. Smith clearly heard about it all offseason from people, and that kind of noise tends to stick with a competitor of his caliber. He had a strong individual performance against the Hurricanes in that quarterfinal, totaling 7 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to lift Ohio State to victory. That combination of personal ties and unfinished result makes a potential rematch personal for Smith in a way that goes beyond the typical rivalry game.

Could the Buckeyes and Hurricanes meet again?

Smith will get at least one shot at Indiana, and perhaps a second if both teams reach the Big Ten title game. A rematch with Miami might require the playoff bracket to cooperate to some degree, and the playoff format leaves plenty of unknowns in how matchups shake out.

But if the Buckeyes and Canes do square off again, there’s no doubt Smith will give every bit he has to flip the script on what was a tough ending for Ohio State in 2025. Whether the bracket delivers that matchup remains to be seen, but the desire is clearly there.