Ohio State sophomore wideout Jeremiah Smith (4) catches a deep ball from quarterback Julian Sayin during the game against Miami Wednesday. The No. 2 Buckeyes lost to the No. 10 Hurricanes at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
During media availability leading up to the Dec. 31 Cotton Bowl, Jeremiah Smith had a promise for Buckeye faithful: “We’ve got something coming for New Year’s Eve.”
In the second half he carried Ohio State on his back, but it wasn’t enough for a Buckeye team that dug a hole it simply could not escape.
Ohio State searched for answers in AT&T Stadium after Miami dominated the first half, and Smith provided the second-half spark, accounting for seven receptions, 157 yards and a touchdown.
It was, however, not enough to carry Ohio State past a dominating Miami Hurricanes.
Smith’s heroics were nearly all the offense had in store. Julian Sayin was sacked five times— one less than totaled in the regular season—while the Buckeyes’ run game totaled 45 yards, compared with Miami’s 153.
Of the Buckeyes’ 287 passing yards, Smith accounted for 157. His longest reception, a 59-yard gain with 13:31 remaining in the second quarter, provided a spark to an otherwise anemic offense.
“You’ve got to fight yourself out of it, and we weren’t able to do that…” head coach Ryan Day said. “Jeremiah, with 157 downfield, we felt like we could, we could do that, and we were going to be aggressive, but we also knew the give and take of it.”
Smith was left to carry Ohio State on his back, moving the chains, including a key 16-yard reception with 7:56 left to play in the third quarter.
His biggest moment came at the start of the fourth quarter when he put Ohio State back within striking distance. His team down 17-7, Smith streaked across the middle of the field, secured a pass from Julian Sayin and slipped past three Miami defenders before cutting into the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.
The score briefly shifted the momentum inside the stadium, but even that fragile hope could not be sustained under the weight of the rest of the offense’s shortcomings.
By the final whistle, Smith had delivered on his promise, but his efforts alone could not overcome the Buckeyes’ mistakes and struggles, which ultimately brought Ohio State’s season and hope of a championship repeat to an end.
