The Ohio State Buckeyes beat the No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes 31-14 in Week 5 of the college football season. The 17-point difference wasn’t the widest margin Ohio State has won by, but it was the most complete game the Buckeyes have played on both sides of the football against a good opponent.

It was Ohio State’s first road win and its first ranked win of the season. The Buckeyes put up 484 total yards and held Iowa to just 238 total yards. Ohio State also forced two turnovers and controlled time of possession throughout the afternoon.

The most dominant player on the field was none other than Jeremiah Smith. The Ohio State star wide receiver has now completely rewritten the program’s record book.

Jeremiah Smith becomes Ohio State’s all-time leading receiver

Following the win over Iowa, Smith is now Ohio State’s all-time leader in catches, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards. It took Smith just two full seasons and five games into his junior season to pass players like Emeka Egbuka, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., and others in the Ohio State record book. That’s a long list of NFL talent the Buckeyes have produced at the position.

Smith showed up in a big way with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa has a reputation over the years for taking away the opposing team’s best player with its defense, or at least limiting them. That didn’t happen here. Smith had another effortless-looking game and went over 200 yards for the second week in a row.

Smith is already up to 823 receiving yards, nine touchdowns, and 44 catches through five games. He’s put himself in a firm position to lead the Heisman race at this point. The Ohio State wideout is also on pace for over 2,000 receiving yards, especially if the Buckeyes can make a deep College Football Playoff run.

Jeremiah Smith has his eyes on the Heisman Trophy

After the game, Smith made it clear he’s paying attention to the Heisman race. The big performances are sort of a message for those with a vote.

“I was surprised I had 200 yards. I ain’t know I had that much,” Smith said. “But yeah, just gotta know, keep the Heisman voters or whoever it is [let them] know that I’m the best player in the country, so I gotta be there [in New York].”

Smith is well on his way to the best season of his career at Ohio State, and that’s saying something. As a true freshman, he went for 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns to help Ohio State win a national championship. Last season, in one less game than he played as a freshman, Smith put up 1,243 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

He’s on track to blow past both of those marks, and he could do it before the regular season even wraps up.

Ohio State’s passing attack is the strength of the offense

The passing game is clearly the strong point of Ohio State’s offense. Quarterback Julian Sayin went off against Iowa, completing 20-of-27 passes for 324 yards and three touchdown passes with no turnovers.

Ohio State is going to continue to lean on its passing attack the rest of the way. That’s great news for Smith, who will have plenty of opportunities to keep putting up big numbers toward the Heisman. 

With Sayin playing at this level and Smith producing like this, the Buckeyes have a duo that few defenses in the country can handle. Smith has given Heisman voters plenty to think about through five games, and the rest of the schedule will give him a chance to strengthen his case as the best player in the country.

Time will tell if Smith ends up in New York, but he’s doing everything he can to get there this far.