Jeremiah Smith gives Ohio State quick answer to Notre Dame with walk-in TD
Jeremiah Smith had just 1 catch for 3 yards in Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl win over Texas. He’s already eclipsed that on the first drive for the Buckeyes in Monday’s national title game vs. Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish actually started the game with the ball, and it was a clinical possession for Marcus Freeman’s offense. Notre Dame used 18 plays and nearly 10 minutes of the game clock to score the game’s first touchdown.
Fortunately, the offense was ready for Ohio State when the Buckeyes got the ball. Ohio State covered 75 yards in 11 drives, including 2 catches by Jeremiah Smith. He even registered a carry that wound up being a disastrous trick play, but his work as a receiver provided the touchdown.
After reaching the end zone, the Buckeyes ran a formation that drew a lot of attention away from Smith with the electric freshman actually stepping behind the line of scrimmage. It caught the defense off guard as he was left entirely alone before Smith caught a screen pass and walked into the end zone untouched.
Considering Smith had a record-setting season, that’s not the kind of look you want from your defense if you are Notre Dame:
HE’S BACK!!!
Jeremiah Smith ties up the ballgame at 7 🅾️
pic.twitter.com/ShsTYMwXcI— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) January 21, 2025
That touchdown is already Smith’s 5th career touchdown catch in a College Football Playoff game, tying Hunter Renfrow (Clemson) and AD Mitchell (Georgia & Texas) for the 2nd-most all-time. Alabama’s DeVonta Smith holds the record with 8 career Playoff touchdowns.