Jeremiah Smith Injury: Ryan Day served with massive bad news hours before Ohio State vs. Rutgers

Ohio State will be without star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith when they face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday. Smith is out of the game along with fellow receiver Carnell Tate, according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Thamel reported via a post on X, where he wrote:

“Ohio State star wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith are not expected to play against Rutgers today. Both are considered day-to-day, as they deal with lower-body injuries.”

Smith was only available for the first half of Ohio State’s blowout victory over UCLA last week. The wideout’s status before the game was questionable, and he had a limp as he approached the locker room after halftime. Similarly, Tate has been out with an undisclosed injury that he suffered during warmups before the Buckeyes’ matchup against Purdue on Nov. 8.

He had five receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown when he played last on Nov. 1 against Penn State. While missing against Rutgers might worry some Ohio State fans, it appears Smith and Tate’s injuries are not serious. They’re day-to-day, according to Thamel’s report, and Ryan Day may be resting them ahead of a more important matchup against the Michigan Wolverines.

Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate have been the two most important players to the Buckeyes’ air offense this season. The two are combined for 108 receptions, 1,613 yards, and 17 touchdowns. On the other hand, the rest of Ohio State’s offense has 128 receptions, 1,182 yards, and nine scores.

The Buckeyes will be playing their final home game of the 2025 regular season on Saturday when they host Rutgers. The team has gone undefeated so far this season, outscoring its opponents by an average of 30 points per game.

How will Ohio State fare without Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate?

One major aspect of Ohio State’s offense is set to be affected with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate both out: its passing game. Julian Sayin will be without his two most trusted targets, and the Buckeyes’ offense will have to adjust its approach.

The answer might lie in its running game, as Bo Jackson, Isaiah West, and James Peoples showed with their performance last week. The three running backs combined for 215 rushing yards and four touchdowns against UCLA.

The Buckeyes’ last game of the regular season will be against Michigan next Saturday.

Edited by Kayode Akinwumi