Ryan Day and Ohio State received a massive blow against Oregon in week 7. While the unexpected setback ended the claim of the Buckeyes, the No. 1 spot in the weekly AP Poll, the real burn is the way they embraced the 31-32 loss. With just 2 minutes remaining in the clock, the Buckeyes were desperately attempting to even the score by 1 point after taking a go-ahead field goal from the Ducks. But all the desperation might be in their hearts but not in their heads. Instead of scoring a field goal, The Buckeyes went a step backwards. You can blame it on Jeremiah Smith’s offensive pass interference, but did he get flagged rightfully? Joel Klatt dropped a bombshell, finding the answer.

The penalty came as the last stroke on the Buckeyes. Will Howard scrambled to reach a field goal position, but the clock ran its course, and the game was over. The outcome certainly came off as a dump on the Buckeyes’ ego, but pinpointing an entity in public for the mess was not in Day’s ethics book. The veteran coach admitted that Smith’s penalty call cost them the loss, but at the same time, made the collective responsible for not delivering what they should have on the night.

That said, veteran analyst Joel Klatt has some other thoughts to munch on. ”He doesn’t push off in order to create space, and then the flag comes out. I thought it was a bad call, just kind of point blank, and I would say that for anybody. Why? Based on my conversations with officials, he didn’t extend, he doesn’t push. Is there contact? Yes. Is there contact on every play before that? Yes. So the fact that the flag comes out there, I thought was a poor call,” said Klatt on the latest episode of his podcast, blaming the referee for a faulty call.

However, despite the controversy, Smith has been a promising face of the Buckeyes throughout the season. He has met all the expectations and rose to the good grace of head coach Ryan Day.

Ryan Day set the bar high for the premium freshman of the team

The standout wide receiver has been a recurring talking point throughout the season. The 6-3, 215-pound wide receiver officially penned the deal with the Buckeyes in 2022 but was yet to sign his letter of intent until the following December. After a brief experiment with the outside, the 18-year-old became a full-fledged member of the team’s offense in 2024 and never looked back. So far this year, he has stunned the fans and his coach with excellent command over creating the space, running precise routes, and more.

While speaking to reporters in a recent media call, Day sang praise of Smith and revealed what the freshman is capable of doing. ”Although he’s young, I think he’s wise beyond his years, the way that he approaches the game, and so we’ll keep a close eye on it,’‘ said the coach.

While the young prodigy has an awful lot to overcome to get a taste of his full potential, the hope shines bright.