Heading into this Saturday's highly-anticipated clash between Indiana and Ohio State, there's no denying that slowing down Buckeye WR Jeremiah Smith will be a huge priority for the Hoosier defense. Of course, that is easier said than done. Smith is arguably the best player in college football, and no opposing defenses have been able to provide much of any resistance to his dominance so far this season.
Smith is among the Heisman Trophy favorites at the halfway point of the regular season, and figures to be a big part of Ohio State's game plan on Saturday in Bloomington. Curt Cignetti has a good plan in place for slowing him down, but his process won't be implemented. Because it's illegal.
Curt Cignetti can't use his go-to game plan against Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
While speaking on The Triple Option, Cignetti was asked how he plans to limit Smith's effectiveness in Week 7. The Hoosier head coach then explained that the only way to do so is by having an illegal number of players on the field for defense.
"We're not allowed to play with 12 or 13, so we’re up the creek, I guess." said Cignetti.
Through six games this season, Smith is already up to 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns. He posted back-to-back 200-yard games against Illinois and Iowa, and had six touchdowns across those two contests in Weeks 4 and 5. Owning a 6'4" 222-pound frame, Smith's frame and extreme athleticism makes him a matchup nightmare on every snap. The Hoosier secondary has been gashed at time this season, and things won't get any easier going up against Smith on Saturday.
Indiana needs to let someone not named Jeremiah Smith try to beat them
There's no denying that Smith is an incredible talent. But that doesn't mean the Ohio State offense is invincible. Smith needs some help from his fellow Buckeye wide receivers, and so far he hasn't gotten it.
RELATED: Game-by-game predictions for Indiana Football's second half of the regular season
Smith's 48 catches and 916 receiving yards lead the Buckeyes by a wide margin. Ohio State's second-leading WR is Devin McCuin, who has 17 catches for 245 yards on the season. No other OSU wideout has more than 10 catches or 160 yards through six games. That creates a big disparity from Smith's numbers, and puts a lot of weight on his shoulders. If Indiana can dial up an effective game plan to keep Smith from going crazy and force somebody else to step up, the Hoosiers could be in good shape.
Smith has faced Indiana twice in his collegiate career. He totaled three catches for 34 yards back in 2024 in Columbus, and registered eight catches for 144 yards in last December's Big Ten Championship.
Indiana's passing attack is much more balanced with Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh. In fact, they have nearly identical stats at the halfway mark of the regular season. Becker leads the team with 30 catches for 529 yards, while Marsh is one catch behind at 29 and one yard behind with 528. Becker has eight touchdowns while Marsh has six.
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