Smith's Mixed History Against Indiana Looms Over Week 7 Clash
No. 4 Ohio State visits No. 5 Indiana on Saturday in a Big Ten showdown carrying significant stakes, with kickoff set for 12 p.m. ET on FOX. It marks the first meeting between the two programs since last season's Big Ten Championship Game, and the spotlight again falls on Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith against an Indiana defense he has had decidedly uneven results against.
Indiana enters the game on a 22-game winning streak dating back to last season and as the reigning national champion. The Hoosiers' most recent win over Ohio State came in the 2025 Big Ten Championship, a 13-10 upset that snapped a losing streak against the Buckeyes stretching back to 1988. Both teams were 12-0 entering that game. Smith was productive in the loss, catching eight passes for 144 yards - his fifth 100-yard receiving performance of that season - but Ohio State's bid was undone when kicker Jayden Fielding missed a 22-yard field goal with 2:48 remaining in the fourth quarter. bet on water polo
The previous meeting, in Week 13 of 2024, went the opposite direction. Ohio State routed then-undefeated Indiana 38-15, outgaining the Hoosiers 316-151 in total yards as quarterback Will Howard completed 22 of 26 passes. Smith, by contrast, was held to three catches for 34 yards and a 12-yard carry - the second-lowest receiving total of his three-year college career. This season, Smith leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally with 48 receptions for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns through six games, a stretch that included back-to-back 200-yard performances against Illinois and Iowa in which he averaged 11.5 catches, 211.5 yards and three touchdowns per game. According to FOX Sports Research, he is only the second Big Ten player to post consecutive 200-yard receiving games, joining Indiana's Ty Fryfrogle, who did so in 2020.
Smith has also become Ohio State's career leader in receptions (211), receiving yards (3,474) and receiving touchdowns (38), and sits two touchdown catches shy of the Big Ten's all-time record of 39, held by former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards. He previously led the conference in receiving yards in 2024 and 2025, in receptions in 2025 and in receiving touchdowns in 2024. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said this week there is "no one" playing like Smith "at this level," underscoring the challenge facing defensive coordinator Bryant Haines' unit as the two top-five teams meet again in Bloomington.
