In the nearly two years since the Oregon Ducks last lined up on the same field against the Ohio State Buckeyes, nobody in the country has found a good solution to stop Jeremiah Smith.
The all-world wideout torched the Ducks twice as a freshman during the 2024 season, in which Oregon emerged victorious during the regular season before Smith and the Buckeyes blew by the Ducks in the Rose Bowl. Now a junior, Smith's game has only gotten better, and he will be a handful for the Ducks this Saturday in Columbus.
Smith has made 63 catches this season for 1,067 yards and 13 touchdowns, both of which are second-most in the nation. He's the current frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy and the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and it's hard to see any team
stopping him, no matter who is throwing him the ball.
Yet, that is the task in front of Dan Lanning this week. When the Ducks hosted Smith in Eugene in 2024, the then-freshman receiver made nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown and nearly helped the Buckeyes win the game. In the Rose Bowl, just a few months later, Smith made seven grabs for 187 yards and two scores. Lanning is well aware of the 6-foot-4 threat on the perimeter for Ohio State, but he isn't backing down from the challenge this weekend.
"I mean Jeremiah is special. He's a special player," Lanning said on Monday. "You have to know where he's at at all times; he's dynamic in every phase. I think it's one that our players are excited about, that challenge. There's a real challenge involved in defending a guy like him. He's certainly pro-ready. I think anybody that's played against him already would tell you that he probably was two years ago, right? So he certainly is now."
Oregon's defense has struggled against elite wideouts this season. Oklahoma State's Wyatt Young ripped off multiple big plays, including a 52-yard touchdown against the Ducks in Week 2. USC freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt had seven catches for 114 yards and a score earlier this season. Last week, Northwestern's Griffin Wilde frequently broke free and finished with 146 yards and a touchdown.
Still, the Ducks have some mojo on defense right now, while Ohio State is still trying to find the right game plan for freshman backup quarterback Luke Fahey. Fahey connected with Smith 10 times last week, but Smith managed just 83 yards and a late touchdown in a loss to USC.
Lanning will have to explore all options to cover Smith, within the rules of football, that is.
"We're gonna see if we can play with 12. I guess I realize that's not funny against this team," Lanning joked, referencing Oregon's intentional 12-man penalty late in the 2024 win over the Buckeyes.
Brandon Finney Jr. has floated between the perimeter and the nickel spot for the Ducks this season, and he will likely be Oregon's top option to defend Smith. But, given the prolific talent he is, Oregon will need to devote a safety or an extra defender to him to contain his explosive ability.
"He's a guy that you have to know where he's at at all times," Lanning said. "They've done a good job of moving him around and making it challenging. Arthur (Smith) and their offensive staff do a really good job of finding ways to get him the ball and be able to take advantage of it."
Smith has caught a touchdown in all but one game this season, but hasn't crossed the 100-yard mark in his last three games. If the Ducks want to pull off the upset on the road this week, the defensive game plan has to start and end with containing Smith and making the Buckeyes' other talented playmakers win.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon players 'excited' by challenge of guarding Jeremiah Smith
