It’s Just One Game, But Jeremiah Smith Lived Up To The Hype

There was so much buildup for the debut of Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith that it was going to be difficult for him to live up to the hype, but after catching six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 52-6 win over Akron, everybody was witness to just how easily doing difficult things comes to him.

For the people who have seen this every day in practice since March, Saturday was not a surprise. It was nothing new. It was just JJ doing JJ things.

For everybody else getting their first real look at Smith, it was a promise delivered.

It hasn’t just been Buckeye fans being told about Smith’s daily feats in practice. The college football world at large has been consistently fed tales of his talents.

And after about one quarter of play, everybody watching came to the same realization: “So this is what they were talking about!”

After the game, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said sometimes when you watch Smith you don’t think he’s human, “but he is.”

It’s always good to rein in the hype on a player by reminding people that he is, in fact, a flesh-and-blood human being despite occasional evidence to the contrary.

Sure, Superman can do a lot of things, but he’s still susceptible to kryptonite, you know.

Jeremiah Smith showed just how human he was on the first drive when he dropped the first pass thrown his way. It was a quick tunnel screen, which if he had caught it, sure looked like it was going to be a 59-yard catch-and-run touchdown the first time he ever touched the ball.

Then on the very next snap, Smith was flagged for a false start because he never got set.

The two plays were a nice reminder that we were all still watching a true freshman in his Ohio State debut and sometimes these things happen. It would also be the last time anybody was thinking that Smith looked anything like a true freshman. Or redshirt freshman. Or fourth-year junior.

Smith’s first catch was an 11-yard hook route on third and 10. Eight plays later during the same drive, his next catch was a scramble drill sideline catch for eight yards on third and four. Three plays after that, he capped the drive with a 16-yard touchdown catch on a back-shoulder throw that looked like he and quarterback Will Howard had done it a thousand times before.

Smith’s next catch also came in the end zone. It was a nine-yard slant route that featured physical coverage but a more physical receiver. His final catch of the day was a 45-yard bomb down to the two-yard line in the third quarter. The coverage was there, but so was Jeremiah Smith.

That last part was actually a theme on the day. There was generally a defender on Smith, but it never really mattered.

You know how some people have face blindness? JJ Smith has cornerback blindness. He only sees the football.

He’d be terrible in a police lineup.

“Mr. Smith, can you recognize the cornerback that was trying to defend you?”

“Yeah, no. As far as I recall, I was alone.”

“We have the video right here.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you. I didn’t see anybody.”

Smith may not have seen anybody, but he showed everybody. And there is still much more to come. It may not always look like this, but there will always be the possibility that it looks even better at just the right time. He is going to win some games for the Buckeyes this year and in the future.

Jeremiah Smith opening his Ohio State debut with a drop and a penalty was a good way for him to remind everybody that he is still human because there are definitely going to be times over the next three years when that fact is in doubt.

Or maybe it’s like when a magician tells you they have nothing up their sleeves and you know they’re lying but it’s okay because you can’t wait to see what they do next.

Saturday was just the start of what is going to be a very fun ride over the next three years. You may as well sit back, enjoy the show, and try to keep telling yourself that this isn’t real.

No matter how real Jeremiah Smith keeps making it look.

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