Urban Meyer has a direct message for Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith following his outburst against Oregon
Jeremiah Smith was caught on national television very unhappy with how things were going against Oregon. Former Ohio State HC Urban Meyer shared his thoughts on it coming out of the loss.
Ohio State football’s 41-28 loss to Oregon in Week 10 left plenty to pick apart, and Jeremiah Smith’s frustration became one of the biggest storylines. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the offense went quiet, failing to score in either the second or third quarter. Ohio State added a pair of touchdowns late, but those came in garbage time with the game all but decided.
A big reason the offense stalled was how little it used its best player. Ohio State went more than 20 game minutes without targeting Smith in the middle quarters. The star receiver still finished with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. However, most of that production came in the fourth quarter when the outcome was already settled.
Jeremiah Smith’s frustration showed against Oregon
The Buckeyes put up 413 yards of total offense, yet the numbers don’t tell the full story. Ohio State didn’t find a rhythm until late. Early mistakes, like not getting the ball to Smith, put the team in a hole it couldn’t climb out of.
With Oregon leading 31-14 heading into the fourth quarter, Smith was visibly frustrated and yelled toward the Ohio State sideline. His emotions got the best of him in that moment, and it happened on national television in front of millions of viewers.
Still, it’s easy to understand where the frustration came from. Smith has 69 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, and Ohio State wasn’t featuring him the way it should have been. That’s one of the reasons the Buckeyes didn’t get the job done against the Ducks.
Urban Meyer has a message for Jeremiah Smith
Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer weighed in on the situation during an episode of his podcast, The Triple Option. He offered some advice for the Buckeyes’ star receiver.
“I would probably call him in and sit down and talk to him … I know Jeremiah but I don’t know him,” Meyer said early this week. “I know him because of what coach Day, and the strength coach, and what everyone tells me about this kid. He’s the perfect teammate, he’s the perfect worker, he’s got a lifestyle that there’s no question marks to it.
“So, I’d call him in and just say, ‘Realize the camera is on you as much as it is anyone else, probably anyone else in the United States of America’. And he’s earned that. ‘So, just hustle back and don’t let anyone start to question who you are.’”
That’s a fair way to look at it from Meyer. Smith has a ton of eyes on him as the top player in college football, and he has to do a better job of reining in that frustration. Meyer coached his fair share of high-profile players during his career, so he knows the spotlight that comes with being a star in Columbus.
Meyer’s take is also a level-headed one. He didn’t pile on Smith for the outburst. Instead, he pointed to the receiver’s reputation as a worker and a teammate while reminding him that every reaction gets magnified at his level.
Ohio State faces must-win game against Northwestern
The Buckeyes return to action against Northwestern on Sunday in what is a must-win game after dropping the last two. Ohio State can’t afford another slow offensive showing, and the fix starts with getting the ball to its most dangerous playmaker early.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is going to have a chance to correct what went wrong against Oregon. You can bet he’ll be dialing up plenty of looks for his star receiver from the opening drive.
How the Buckeyes respond will say a lot about where this team is headed over the final stretch of the season. Two straight losses has a big cloud over Columbus, we’ll see what the Buckeyes can do about it on Saturday.
