Jeremiah Smith torches Notre Dame for insanely clutch 3rd-down grab
Jeremiah Smith made sure to leave his mark in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game vs. Notre Dame. The phenom for Ohio State started with a bang and also delivered when it mattered most in the clutch.
Smith opened the game with 2 catches and Ohio State’s first touchdown on the first offensive possession for the Buckeyes. He came up with some big grabs but was relatively quiet through the middle portion of the game, but Smith saved his best for when Ohio State needed it the most.
After watching Notre Dame cut the lead to 31-23, the Buckeyes were forced into a 3rd-and-11 in their own territory with plenty of time left for the Fighting Irish. That’s when the Notre Dame defense sent the house, but Ohio State’s protection picked it up.
The Buckeyes gave Will Howard just enough time to step up in the pocket, and he saw Jeremiah Smith running in man-to-man coverage down the field. The throw was pure, and Smith’s catch was clean, going for 56 yards and down inside the red zone.
JEREMIAH. SMITH. THIS KID IS UNREAL. pic.twitter.com/0F0oaTthUr
— The Sports Place (@offsportsplace) January 21, 2025
Jayden Fielding would eventually come on to kick a field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining to put the Buckeyes up 34-23, but it was the catch by Smith that helped put the Buckeyes on the doorstep of the national title.