Ohio State vs Indiana Recap - New College Football AP/Coaches Top 25 for Oct. 19, 2026

AP Top 25 — Week 7 Rank Team Record Conference Points Change 1 Miami (FL) logoMIAMI (FL) 6-0 ACC 1,697 (40) ▲ 2 2 BYU logoBYU 6-0 Big 12 1,675 (20) ▲ 6 3 Ohio State logoOHIO STATE 6-1 Big Ten 1,649 (9) ▲ 1 4 Notre Dame logoNOTRE DAME 6-1 FBS Independents 1,395 ▼ 2 5 Georgia logoGEORGIA 6-1 SEC 1,382 ▼ 4 6 Indiana logoINDIANA 6-1 Big Ten 1,370 ▼ 1 7 Ole Miss logoOLE MISS 5-1 SEC 1,360 ▲ 2 8 Texas Tech logoTEXAS TECH 6-0 Big 12 1,336 (1) ▲ 2 9 UCLA logoUCLA 6-0 Big Ten 1,159 ▲ 3 10 Utah logoUTAH 6-0 Big 12 1,153 ▲ 1 11 Tennessee logoTENNESSEE 6-1 SEC 1,151 ▲ 3 12 Kentucky logoKENTUCKY 6-1 SEC 932 ▲ 3 13 Alabama logoALABAMA 5-2 SEC 870 ▼ 7 14 Houston logoHOUSTON 6-1 Big 12 785 ▲ 6 15 Iowa logoIOWA 5-1 Big Ten 747 ▲ 2 16 USC logoUSC 6-1 Big Ten 592 ▲ 3 17 Wake Forest logoWAKE FOREST 6-1 ACC 574 ▲ 4 18 LSU logoLSU 5-2 SEC 529 ▲ 4 19 Texas logoTEXAS 4-2 SEC 440 ▼ 12 20 Florida logoFLORIDA 5-2 SEC 355 ▲ 12 21 Boise State logoBOISE STATE 5-1 Mountain West 295 ▲ 2 22 Missouri logoMISSOURI 5-2 SEC 290 ▼ 9 23 SMU logoSMU 5-1 ACC 265 ▲ 1 24 Northwestern logoNORTHWESTERN 5-1 Big Ten 254 ▲ 1 25 Arizona logoARIZONA 5-1 Big 12 136 ▲ 3 USA Today Coaches Poll — Released October 18 Rank Team Record Conference Points Change 1 Miami (FL) logoMIAMI (FL) 6-0 ACC 1791 (50) ▲ 2 2 Ohio State logoOHIO STATE 6-1 Big Ten 1725 (13) ▲ 3 3 BYU logoBYU 6-0 Big 12 1698 (10) ▲ 5 4 Georgia logoGEORGIA 6-1 SEC 1469 ▼ 3 5 Texas Tech logoTEXAS TECH 6-0 Big 12 1414 ▲ 4 6 Indiana logoINDIANA 6-1 Big Ten 1378 ▼ 2 7 Ole Miss logoOLE MISS 5-1 SEC 1371 ▲ 3 8 Notre Dame logoNOTRE DAME 6-1 FBS Independents 1332 ▼ 6 9 Utah logoUTAH 6-0 Big 12 1222 ▲ 2 10 UCLA logoUCLA 6-0 Big Ten 1206 ▲ 2 11 Tennessee logoTENNESSEE 6-1 SEC 1193 ▲ 3 12 Kentucky logoKENTUCKY 6-1 SEC 979 ▲ 5 13 Alabama logoALABAMA 5-2 SEC 813 ▼ 6 14 Iowa logoIOWA 5-1 Big Ten 807 ▲ 2 15 USC logoUSC 6-1 Big Ten 796 – 16 Houston logoHOUSTON 6-1 Big 12 730 ▲ 2 17 LSU logoLSU 5-2 SEC 569 ▲ 4 18 Texas logoTEXAS 4-2 SEC 520 ▼ 12 19 Wake Forest logoWAKE FOREST 6-1 ACC 514 ▲ 4 20 SMU logoSMU 5-1 ACC 458 ▲ 2 21 Missouri logoMISSOURI 5-2 SEC 274 ▼ 8 22 Boise State logoBOISE STATE 5-1 Mountain West 266 ▲ 2 23 Northwestern logoNORTHWESTERN 5-1 Big Ten 256 ▲ 3 24 Florida logoFLORIDA 5-2 SEC 250 ▲ 9 25 Oregon logoOREGON 4-2 Big Ten 189 –

Five Things: Buckeyes Escape Bloomington, Hand Indiana First Loss Since December 2024 By Chris Lauderback Ryan Day 2, Curt Cignetti 1. In the third ever matchup between Ryan Day and Curt Cignetti, Day's Buckeyes put an end to Indiana's 22-game winning streak and perfect 19-0 mark at home since Cig took over the Hoosiers with a thrilling 19-15 victory yesterday afternoon in Bloomington's Memorial Stadium. It certainly wasn't a Picasso as bad quarterback play influenced by strong defensive efforts helped keep the offenses in check. Ohio State signal-caller Julian Sayin connected on 4-of-5 throws on a game-opening field goal drive but then misfired on eight of his next nine tosses. Before exiting the game in the second half with a arm/shoulder injury that Day said will keep him out for "several weeks", Sayin completed only 52% of this throws for two touchdowns and two picks with a lost fumble. He made several questionable decisions leading to very avoidable sacks. His offensive line did him zero favors at times but with a year and a half worth of starts under his belt, it's clear Sayin is prone to wilting under pressure and doesn't seem to be improving. I'm not sure how else to say it. On the other side of the ball, Indiana's Josh Hoover was busy missing his own open receivers particularly in the first half as he completed 6-of-15 throws for just 77 yards. With Hoover struggling through the air, the IU offense only mustered one scoring drive in the opening 30 minutes - a 2-play, 7-yard touchdown possession gifted by a Sayin interception. To his credit, Sayin cobbled together a 15-play, 80-yard touchdown drive just before halftime to make it 10-7 good guys at the break. Sayin went 5-for-7 for 67 yards including strikes of 21 and 30 yards to Chris Henry Jr. and a 2-yard scoring toss to Bo Jackson on 4th-and-Goal marking the 7th time in seven games Ohio State has scored a touchdown with 30 seconds or less left in the first half. Sayin remained uneven in the second half leading the Buckeyes on a short field goal drive to take a 13-7 lead early in the third quarter before an errant target to Jeremiah Smith resulted in a pick on the following possession. On his next crack at the Hoosiers, Sayin heaved a 4th-and-1 ball high and late to Smith but Jeremiah somehow beat a handful of defenders to the ball for a 38-yard score putting OSU in front 19-7 with 12:46 left in regulation. The Hoosiers would then march 75 yards in seven plays capped by Nick Marsh toasting Cam Calhoun for a 19-yard score trimming the OSU lead to 19-15. Sayin was injured on the ensuing possession as right tackle Phil Daniels' man took an unimpeded rush and destroyed him for an 18-yard loss. The Ohio State defense rose to the occasion to force a punt but with Luke Fahey in relief of Sayin, the OSU offense went 3-and-out setting up one last chance for Indiana. The Hoosiers drove 43 yards to the OSU 27 but a 4th-and-4 pass caught by a wide open Nick Marsh looked like a touchdown but his left foot landed out of bounds two yards into the end zone. Yes, it was an insanely lucky turn of events for the Buckeyes. But after losing too many games in similar odd/heartbreaking fashion, it felt like beyond time for OSU to be on the receiving end of some good fortune. With that, since I take pride in not crying about officiating in Five Things, let's take a minute to laugh about it instead. I'm positive Indiana was on the wrong end of some calls but holy smokes did OSU also get jobbed quite a few times. Carson Hinzman was flagged for holding on what looked like a textbook pancake block to wipe out a 20-yard run. Jermaine Mathews Jr. was called for roughing the passer and targeting on the most important possession of the game for... playing football. The targeting was overturned at least but it was still yikes city. Riley Pettijohn was tackled as he rushed Hoover on the game's decisive play, a 4th-and-4 toss to Marsh that would've been a game-winning catch if the throw was more inside and Marsh kept his left foot inbounds. Jeremiah Smith was assaulted a few times without a pass interference flag but hey what's new? I only mention these because the players on both sides deserve better. This is high stakes football and these clown show calls compromise the games and dilute the overall product. Laughably terrible officiating was found all over CFB yesterday (and every Saturday). ADVERTISEMENT Oh and for any OSU fans unhappy about the details behind the win, keep in mind five of the AP's Top-7 lost yesterday. With that, here are Five Things from Ohio State's 19-15 win over the Hoosiers. A WIN AT GREAT COST I already touched on Sayin's outing before he was knocked out the game and while he once again largely looked like a deer in headlights when under pressure in a matchup game, there's no doubt losing him for "several weeks" is a huge blow for Ohio State. (If you're curious, through five career matchup games ('26: Texas, Indiana, '25: Texas, Indiana, Miami), Sayin has completed 60.7% of his passes with 6 TD and 6 INT with 15 sacks with OSU winning two of those five contests.) I'm not bullish on OSU as a national title favorite with a healthy Sayin but I'm 100% certain they aren't a title contender without him. He knows the offense, many times he's shown improved pocket presence and ability to be more effective with his feet, he's obviously super accurate when he has time to throw and continuing to rack up experience could've propelled him to playing his best ball down the stretch. And it's not like Ohio State has an elite run game to fall back on. Behind a banged up and shaky offensive line, the run game sits outside the top-60 in metrics like yards per carry and yards per game although I do credit the group for improving over the last few weeks. That means true freshman signal-caller Luke Fahey needs to grow up in a hurry. He looked overwhelmed yesterday but that was an impossible situation. I expect he'll be much better over the next however many weeks he's forced to play and it's certainly fortunate OSU enters a bye week. Maybe there's even a role for Tavien St. Clair in the red zone given his size for a QB. While Sayin's injury was the headliner, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. coming up gimpy after popping Charlie Becker out of bounds wasn't great. He did come back in the game but looked very gimpy heading to the locker room after the final whistle. True freshman Jay Timmons, who already missed the Iowa and Maryland games leading up to yesterday's contest, suffered something late as he was MIA during the most crucial IU possessions. He was all over the field up to that point and you could make a strong argument for him being Ohio State's best defender when healthy. ADVERTISEMENT Defensive tackle Eddrick Houston also left the game injured at one point but returned. He's been on a heater for about a month now and as the squad's best interior defensive lineman, they can't afford to lose him. On top of all these injuries yesterday, Ohio State entered the game knowing RB1 Ja'Kobi Jackson was already sidelined for an extended period due to what is believed to be a foot injury suffered against Maryland and starting right guard Austin Siereveld was already on the shelf heading into the matchup with the Terps. Again, great time for a bye week to get guys healthy and get Fahey some reps but man, yesterday's win was not without its consequences. TAILBACKS STEP UP The deck wasn't stacked for Ohio State's run game to be a factor yesterday. Indiana entered the contest ranked 4th nationally in yards per carry allowed (2.31) and 7th in total rush yards allowed per game (75). Meanwhile, OSU was missing starting tailback Ja'Kobi Jackson, ranked 60th in rush yards per game and 79th in yards per carry (4.33). And while the Buckeyes didn't set the field on fire via the run, its top two ball carriers, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, combined for 26 touches, 113 yards and a touchdown. That tally also doesn't include a 20-yard Jackson run wiped out by a pancake block from Carson Hinzman somehow flagged as holding. Bo remains a great receiving option out of the backfield which should be utilized more heavily as the season slogs forward. Yesterday, with Indiana keying heavily on Jeremiah, a great play call from Arthur Smith on 4th-and-Goal saw Jackson leak wide open into the flat for six. West, after a no-effort pass pro breakdown last week, ran with purpose racking up 45 yards on just six carries - all in the second half. Legend Bey was the first running back off the bench to spell Jackson but his three carries in the second quarter went for just six total yards. (I remain confused at the portion of the fan base who thinks he's ready for prime time via any high-touch role but that's for another day.) For now, knowing Ja'Kobi will be on the shelf for an extended period in addition to Sayin, being able to count on Jackson and West to produce at a serviceable or better level is crucial to OSU staying in the playoff race. HELP WANTED With Cignetti fully aware pressuring Sayin is the recipe to slowing Ohio State's passing attack and by extension Jeremiah Smith, Indiana came after him with a combo of pressures, simulated pressures and twists/stunts to confuse the the QB and his offensive line. Indiana also frequently assigned more than one guy to bracket Smith down the field. The result was just eight targets for Smith after averaging 12.8 against the four other Power 4 opponents faced entering yesterday's game. Of course, Smith did what he could, turning those eight targets into four catches for 68 yards including a 38-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter that proved to the game winner. ADVERTISEMENT Ohio State's other two starting wide receivers - Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin - combined for 10 targets yet managed just three catches for 29 yards with only one of those grabs moving the chains. In fairness, some of that was on Sayin's inaccuracy but at what point do WR2 and WR3 start making some consistent contributions or else begin rotating out more heavily in favor of guys like Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd (unavailable yesterday), Phillip Bell or even Legend Bey as a gadget option in the slot? I'd rather Sayin target Henry Jr. than McCuin at this point and heck tight end Nate Roberts is more of a receiving threat than Inniss. So is fellow tight end Mason Williams apparently. It's hard to comprehend those realities when talking about an Ohio State wide receiver room. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES? In a stunning development, Ohio State's special teams outperformed the opponent by a pretty wide margin, in a matchup game no less. That's absolutely worth a Thing. Placekicker Connor Hawkins calmly buried a 26-yard field goal to give OSU an early 3-0 lead and later converted a 29-yarder giving the Buckeyes a 13-7 cushion early in the third quarter. Meanwhile, IU's Nico Radicic doinked a 32-yard try with the Hoosiers leading 7-3 in the second quarter and later didn't have enough leg to connect on a 55-yarder that would've cut OSU's lead to 13-10 late in the third quarter. Indiana's Billy Geezer Gowers uncorked a 25-yard punt to just the OSU 20 and later a 37-yarder to the OSU 22, wasting chances to pin the Buckeyes deep. In contrast, Ohio State's much-maligned punter, Joe McGuire, popped a 50-yarder to the IU 19, dropped in a 35-yarder to the IU 6 and lifted a 52-yarder to the the IU 22 and after a modest return, still netted 44 yards. Across his five punts, the Hoosiers amassed eight return yards. On punt return, Phillip Bell took a kick 14 yards from the IU 13 to give the offense some breathing room. It wasn't a clinic and it wasn't without flaws but for Ohio State's special teams, it was a Herculean effort on a day the Buckeyes needed every hidden yard they could muster. DEFENSE DOES JUST ENOUGH Indiana offered up its share of self-inflicted wounds but I felt Ohio State's defense played a pretty damn good game on the road against a legit top-5 program and when continuing to get stops was paramount after Sayin went down, it did exactly that, keeping IU off the board on back-to-back possessions to secure the victory. Yeah, Nick Marsh was wide open but as noted about 1,900 words ago, if the refs appropriately call holding, that pass isn't even thrown. And if Jermaine Mathews isn't flagged for a bogus roughing the passer call on that same drive, the ensuing 3rd-and-15 snap could've also altered its outcome. I feel the defense continued trending up which is huge considering it will have to be good enough to lean on as Ohio State's offense takes a step back while Sayin is out. The run defense was again solid, holding IU to 2.5 yards per carry, keyed by the defensive line's continued resurgence. Hoosiers tailback Turbo Richard came into yesterday's game averaging 8.4 yards per carry and the Bucks held him to 2.9 with Indiana's longest rush on the day going for a mere eight yards. OSU also forced a pair of fumbles for turnovers and through the air, Josh Hoover completed 50% of his throws as OSU racked up six PBUs. Of the two touchdowns allowed, one was a legit 75-yard drive but the other was a 7-yard possession set up by a Sayin pick. Jay Timmons was once again Ohio State's best defender as the true freshman posted seven stops, two PBUs and a forced fumble. Earl Little Jr. continued his excellent season with eight tackles and a PBU. Jason Moore stepped up along the defensive front with six stops, Eddrick Houston was again active alongside him with three stops and a hurry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was a warrior with seven tackles, Payton Pierce chipped in seven tackles and a PBU near the goal line, and safety Jaylen McClain had his usual impact with a sack, forced fumble and a PBU.

Stefan Krajisnik Sat, October 17, 2026 at 4:28 PM EDT BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Ohio State football won 19-15 at Indiana on Saturday, giving the Buckeyes a marquee midseason victory. However, it came at a cost. Ohio State starting quarterback Julian Sayin and defensive end Kenyatta Jackson were injured in the game's second half. Sayin briefly went into Ohio State's locker room before returning to the sideline with a sling on his right arm. Jackson initially returned to the game after his injury. However, after the game, Jackson needed assistance from a staffer and defensive tackle Eddrick Houston to walk off the field. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he did not have many details on Sayin postgame, though he expects the quarterback to be out several weeks. He was not asked about Jackson in the postgame press conference. Here's everything Day said in that session. Latest Ohio State Buckeyes news How Kenyatta Jackson, Jay Timmons and the rest of Ohio State's defense graded vs. Indiana How Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and the rest of Ohio State's offense graded vs. Indiana Ohio State football has a new starting QB: What to know about Luke Fahey, Julian Sayin's replacement Ohio State football reveals renderings for Woody Hayes Athletic Center renovation Everything Ryan Day said after Ohio State beat Indiana Day said he was thinking about a two-minute drill on offense as the ball was in the air on the game's final pass to Indiana receiver Nick Marsh. Day: "We were aggressive in that moment and it worked out for us. I thought the defense just grinded all game." Day said the game would have slowed down for freshman backup quarterback Luke Fahey with more reps. Day: "Tough spot for him to come into. I think it was moving fast for him there." Day praised OSU receiver Jeremiah Smith for the 38-yard touchdown pass he caught early in the fourth quarter. Day: "If you just give him a chance, he's going to make some plays... What a great play he made." Day was asked about his thoughts on the team moving forward without Sayin. He pointed to other injuries Ohio State has managed, such as with Ja'Kobi Jackson and Austin Siereveld. Day: "We'll come together and figure this out." Day had lofty praise for Indiana receiver Charlie Becker, who caught nine passes for 165 yards. Day: "He's a tremendous player." Day said kicking a field goal was not an option on the final drive of the first half. Sayin ain't so: Can Ohio State survive without its star QB? Story by Yahoo Sports No. 4 Ohio State QB Julian Sayin likely out 'several weeks' after apparent right arm injury in win over No. 5 Indiana Nick BrombergSenior writer Sat, October 17, 2026 at 5:40 PM EDT No. 4 Ohio State won't have QB Julian Sayin for multiple games. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said after his team's 19-15 win over No. 5 Indiana that Sayin would "probably be out for several weeks" after suffering an apparent right arm injury on a sack in the fourth quarter. Sayin was hit from his right side as he went to throw the ball and his right throwing arm got pinned awkwardly against his body. After running back to the locker room, Sayin returned to the sideline with his right arm in a sling. Sayin was replaced by freshman QB Luke Fahey after the injury as Ohio State's defense did enough to hang onto the lead. Nick Marsh was barely out of bounds on Indiana's potential game-winning touchdown with just over a minute remaining. Sayin was 15-of-29 passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions before he left the game. The junior entered the game completing 71% of his passes for 1,772 yards and 17 TDs, with his first two interceptions coming a week ago against Maryland. More college football news Additional select Yahoo articles Inside College Football Playoffs 24team expansion What to know about the new format schedule and fallout Inside College Football Playoff's 24-team expansion: What to know about the new format, schedule and fallout Duke CB Kimari Robinson apologizes for swatting away athletic trainer: 'She did not deserve that' Ex-NFL CB Terence Newman arrested hours after he was honored by Kansas State for going into the College Football Hall of Fame Sayin was a Heisman finalist in 2025, finishing fourth in the voting in his first year as the Buckeyes' starter. A season ago, he was 301-of-391 passing for 3,610 yards and 32 TDs with just eight interceptions. His 77% completion percentage fell just short of Bo Nix's all-time mark of 77.45%. Fahey failed to complete the two passes he attempted against the Hoosiers and is 9-of-13 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions across four games this season. Ohio State (6-1) is off in Week 8 before traveling to No. 19 USC on Halloween. The Buckeyes then host Oregon and Northwestern before visiting Nebraska ahead of a home game against Michigan to end the regular season.

October 11 College Football Rankings - Ohio State vs Indiana Best Bets - Jeremiah Smith, Best WR EVER

College Football Rankings AP Top 25 Updated Oct 11, 2026 Rank Team Trend 1 team logo Georgia 1 2 team logo Notre Dame 1 3 team logo Miami (Fla.) 1 4 team logo Ohio State 1 5 team logo Indiana 2 6 team logo Alabama — 7 team logo Texas 6 8 team logo BYU — 9 team logo Ole Miss — 10 team logo Texas Tech 1 11 team logo Utah 1 12 team logo UCLA 9 13 team logo Missouri 1 14 team logo Tennessee 1 15 team logo Kentucky 11 16 team logo Miss. State 1 17 team logo Iowa 3 18 team logo Oklahoma State — 19 team logo USC — 20 team logo Houston 2 21 team logo Wake Forest 6 22 team logo LSU 12 23 team logo Boise St. — 24 team logo SMU — 25 team logo Northwestern 5 Full Rankings Coaches Poll Updated Oct 11, 2026 Rank Team Trend 1 team logo Georgia 1 2 team logo Notre Dame 1 3 team logo Miami (Fla.) 1 4 team logo Indiana 1 5 team logo Ohio State 1 6 team logo Texas 5 7 team logo Alabama — 8 team logo BYU — 9 team logo Texas Tech — 10 team logo Ole Miss 1 11 team logo Utah 1 12 team logo UCLA 10 13 team logo Missouri 3 14 team logo Tennessee — 15 team logo USC 2 16 team logo Iowa 2 17 team logo Kentucky 8 18 team logo Houston 1 19 team logo Miss. State 1 20 team logo Oklahoma State 6 21 team logo LSU 11 22 team logo SMU 1 23 team logo Wake Forest 6 24 team logo Boise St. 3 25 team logo Oregon 12 Full Rankings CBS Sports Rankings Updated Oct 12, 2026 Rank Team Trend 1 team logo Georgia 1 2 team logo Miami (Fla.) 1 3 team logo Notre Dame 2 4 team logo Ohio State 2 5 team logo Indiana 2 6 team logo Alabama 2 7 team logo BYU 1 8 team logo Texas 7 9 team logo UCLA 7 10 team logo Utah 1 11 team logo Ole Miss 1 12 team logo Texas Tech — 13 team logo Missouri 2 14 team logo Miss. State 4 15 team logo Kentucky 12 16 team logo Iowa 3 17 team logo Tennessee — 18 team logo Oklahoma State 3 19 team logo Wake Forest 5 20 team logo Houston 6 21 team logo USC 1 22 team logo Northwestern 8 23 team logo Wisconsin 8 24 team logo LSU 15 25 team logo Nebraska 3

How to bet Indiana-Ohio State: Two bets stand out as the Buckeyes head to Bloomington Pamela Maldonado Bloomington gets top billing as No. 5 Indiana hosts its first AP top-10 matchup against No. 4 Ohio State. The unbeaten Hoosiers ended a 30-game losing streak to the Buckeyes last year on their way to a national championship. Now they've won 22 straight, while Ohio State arrives with a loss to Texas and unfinished business. Beating the Buckeyes once was historic. Doing it twice? Since 2000, only Michigan and Wisconsin have beaten Ohio State in consecutive years. Indiana has a chance to join that short list in front of its own fans. Let's tackle how this matchup sets up and where I see a couple of betting opportunities. Odds by DraftKings and subject to change. No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (-3.5) at No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers Saturday, 7:30 ET, ABC Records: Ohio State 5-1, 1-1 vs. AP Top 25; Indiana 6-0, 0-0 vs. AP Top 25 Money line: Ohio State (-110); Indiana (+150) Over/Under: 50.5 (O -118, U -102) The matchup: Who can still hit the big plays? Ohio State and Indiana both rank in the top 10 in adjusted efficiency. Both can score, and both have defenses that make opponents work. What interests me is which offense can still find those big gains when moving the ball gets more difficult. Editor's Picks Breaking down Heisman and CFP odds: The case for Iowa, Kentucky, UCLA and USC Pamela Maldonado CFB top 25 betting lines: OSU favored at Indiana, Irish double-digit faves in Provo ESPN Betting buzz: Jeremiah Smith passes Arch Manning as favorite to be No. 1 pick in NFL draft ESPN Indiana has the country's most efficient passing attack, with Josh Hoover not having thrown an interception. But Ohio State ranks first in passing success rate allowed. If the Buckeyes take away those easy completions, can Indiana keep drives going? Nebraska held the Hoosiers to 13 first downs and a single third-down conversion last week. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith get the more inviting passing matchup. Indiana has been vulnerable to big gains through the air, allowing Nebraska's Jacory Barney Jr. to catch nine passes for 107 yards. Getting yards and finishing drives are two different things. Ohio State hasn't consistently run the ball well on the road, and Indiana's Tobi Osunsanmi and Stephen Daley each have five sacks. A few big catches won't solve everything if Sayin keeps getting knocked backward. I give Ohio State the edge. Indiana has more weaknesses compared to last season that Ohio State can exploit this time, specifically in coverage and tackling. Bet: UNDER 50.5 Forget the names on the jerseys for a second and look at the defenses. Ohio State has been especially difficult to throw against. Indiana needed two late touchdown drives to escape Nebraska after converting just 1-of-10 third downs. Sustaining possessions could be tougher here. Indiana's pressure can stall Ohio State drives even when the Buckeyes connect on big plays. Last year, Smith caught eight passes for 144 yards against the Hoosiers despite Ohio State giving up five sacks and scoring only 10 points. That concern remains: Sayin has been sacked seven times across road games at Texas and Iowa this season. Smith can pile up yards without Ohio State piling up points. The pace is the concern, since both teams are comfortable playing quickly. But Ohio State has shown that moving the ball doesn't always mean keeping the scoreboard moving. The Buckeyes scored only three second-half points at Texas this season and none against Indiana last season, despite Smith having huge games. Even their 31-14 road win at Iowa shows there's room for substantial offensive production without clearing a higher total. I'm counting on enough sacks, difficult third downs, while still leaving room for big catches and an effective offensive performance without four quarters of steady scoring. Bet: Jeremiah Smith 130+ receiving yards (-103) Ohio State keeps giving Smith more chances, and he keeps doing more with them, averaging 11 targets per game, up from 8.2 last season, while his yards per catch have increased from 14.3 to 19.1. Look at the road games. Smith drew 16 targets at Texas and 14 at Iowa, finishing with 164 and 206 yards. If Indiana keeps this competitive, I expect Sayin to keep looking for him. Indiana can get stops, but it has also given up big passing plays, which fits how Ohio State uses Smith: more than 62% of his targets are at least 10 yards downfield. He'll get enough chances to turn a few completions into substantial gains. With a bigger workload this season, I like 130+ at -103, an opportunity to boost his Heisman résumé even further.

Is Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith the best WR college football has ever seen? by: Jake Trotter Oct 14, 2026 COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two years ago during spring practice, Ohio State quarterback Will Howard overthrew a freshman wide receiver in the end zone. Coach Ryan Day came unglued. "Are you not going to give the best receiver to potentially ever play the game a chance?" Day demanded, according to Howard. "And I was like, 'Are you talking about this freshman, who hasn't even stepped on the field yet? You're calling him the best receiver ever?'" Howard recalled thinking. "That's a crazy thing to say." Two years later, it doesn't seem so crazy. Editor's Picks Ranking CFB's best receivers of the last 50 years Bill Connelly How many can he get? Tracking Jeremiah Smith's record-setting 2026 season ESPN Inside the trick plays and proposal: Boise State's immortal Fiesta Bowl 20 years later Jake Trotter Jeremiah Smith isn't just rewriting the Ohio State record books. He isn't just the clear favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. He's building a case to be the greatest wide receiver in college football history. "Jeremiah's a freak," said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, whose teams have faced Smith three times. "He can strike the fear of God in you on any snap." In 2004, Sarkisian was in the Oakland Raiders' draft room when owner Al Davis asked about a wide receiver they were considering with the No. 2 pick. "Is he Randy Moss?" Davis asked, according to Sarkisian. "No," Oakland's offensive coordinator replied. "Randy Moss is a freak." "Well, that's what I want," Davis said. "I want a freak." The Raiders selected offensive tackle Robert Gallery with the second pick, and Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald went one pick later to the Arizona Cardinals.

Jeremiah Smith broke Ohio State's career receiving yardage record during the game against Kent State. Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire Fitzgerald was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year, two years after entering the College Football Hall of Fame. More than two decades later, Sarkisian sees another college receiver with Moss-like ability. "If there's anybody that could probably compare to somebody who could take over a game similar to Randy Moss, I would say it'd be Jeremiah Smith," Sarkisian said. "I mean, he's that good. He's got length, he's got strength, he's got speed, he's got ability to adjust to the ball, he's got catch-and-run ability, he's a smart player. He garners your attention on every snap." Fitzgerald also sees similarities. "The way he attacks the football and uses his body to shield defenders away, it kind of feels familiar," Fitzgerald told ESPN. "At Pitt, I took a lot of pride in giving my quarterback somebody they could trust, even when I wasn't necessarily open. I definitely see that quality in Jeremiah, even though he's open a heck of a lot more than I [was] with his physical abilities. He's doing things athletically that I never had the ability to do. The athleticism reminds me a lot of Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson." Fitzgerald finished second in the 2003 Heisman Trophy voting. But Smith is running away with this Heisman race. Said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian of Smith: "He's got length, he's got strength, he's got speed, he's got ability to adjust to the ball, he's got catch-and-run ability, he's a smart player." Ben Jackson/Getty Images According to DraftKings, he is the overwhelming favorite (-220), well ahead of Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (+950) and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr (+1000). Despite facing constant double-teams, Smith has 48 receptions for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns, ranking second nationally in all three categories. He also has already broken Ohio State's career records for receptions (211), receiving yards (3,474) and touchdown catches (38). "If it's one-on-one, he's open. If he's double-covered, he's sort of open," Day said of 6-foot-4, 220-pound Smith. "If he's triple-covered, he's covered, so that means somebody's got to be open somewhere else -- I say that half-kidding." Over the past five drafts, Day has had six wide receivers selected in the first round. But even among that group, Day said recently, "It's hard to put anybody above him." Smith capped his remarkable freshman season with a game-clinching 56-yard reception from Howard on third-and-11, sealing Ohio State's victory over Notre Dame for its first national championship in a decade.

One NFL general manager even told ESPN during the 2025 combine that Smith would've been the No. 1 pick in that year's draft -- after only one college season. Since then, Smith has only gotten better. "He's bigger, faster, stronger," said Jaxon Smith-Njigba, one of the Buckeyes' six recent first-round receivers and the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. "His route running has gotten better. I can definitely tell that he's worked on that." While lining up far more frequently in the slot than in his first two seasons, Smith leads the nation with 6.03 yards per route run. Indiana's Charlie Becker ranks second at 4.34. Smith also accounts for 38% of Ohio State's targets, the second-highest share nationally. Yet he still has generated 48 targets with no defender within an arm's length when the pass arrives, also ranking second nationally. "There are a lot of talented receivers," Fitzgerald said. "But the special ones can keep winning even when everybody, every defensive coordinator knows the ball's coming their way." Smith is special. But is he the greatest in college football history? That depends on how greatness is measured. Moss was nearly unstoppable at Marshall, catching a then-FBS-record 26 touchdown passes in 1997 while leading the Thundering Herd to 10 wins. Fitzgerald dominated at Pitt even when opponents knew the ball was coming his way, finishing runner-up to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White in one of the closest Heisman votes in history. At Texas Tech, Michael Crabtree became the first receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award twice. Johnson overwhelmed defenders with a combination of size and athleticism few had ever seen, becoming the first three-time first-team All-ACC selection in Georgia Tech history. Jeremiah Smith strikes the Heisman pose after breaking the Ohio State career receiving touchdowns record at Iowa. Matthew Holst/Getty Images In 2020, Alabama's DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver in nearly three decades to win the Heisman Trophy, capping his season with a national championship. Unlike those receivers, Jeremiah Smith has yet to win the Biletnikoff, given annually to the nation's most outstanding receiver. He also has never been even a Heisman finalist, much less won the award. Yet. "Having those accolades would definitely put the cherry on top," Smith-Njigba told ESPN. They could also put Smith at the top of the list. "I'm always careful trying to rank guys because I have a ton of respect for the Randy Mosses and the Michael Crabtrees and the Calvin Johnsons and guys who have come before them and help write the story of college football," Fitzgerald said. "But based on what he's done over these first three years, he's earned the right to be in that conversation."

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