What a night it was for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ryan Day and his squad flipped the script in the 4th quarter against Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns and sealed their natty berth, but not everything was smooth sailing in Buckeye Nation. Star freshman Jeremiah Smith, the guy who’s been lighting up defenses all postseason, was literally a ghost on Friday. His production had Buckeyes nations scratching their heads. The Mighty Ohio State HC Ryan Day had to address the Buckeye in the room, but his response? Let’s just say it left more questions than answers as Notre Dame looms large.

Ohio State might’ve locked in their spot in the natty with a Cotton Bowl dub over Texas, but Ryan Day wasn’t all smiles. Why? The offense sputtered, and Jeremiah Smith—a freshman phenom who’d been putting up 100+ yards like clockwork—was a total non-factor. 1 catch. 3 yards. Fans were literally shaken and concerned.

The press asked about it on Sunday, and Day kept it straightforward: “Yeah, I think when you look at it, it’s a little bit more about execution than it is anything else. They really didn’t play us any differently than some of the other teams that we played. But we weren’t able to sustain a few of those drives and connect on a couple of other plays.” With Notre Dame’s scary defense next and Marcus Freeman eyeing Texas’ blueprint, Day’s squad needs answers—real fast.

Ryan Day kept it real about the plan moving ahead. “But ultimately at the end of the day, we’ve got to execute at a high level and continue to move the ba-l down the field,” Day said, doubling down on the offense needing to step up. He made it real clear that Jeremiah Smith is still their go-to-wide-out.

“He’s obviously a huge part of our offense, as you know,” Day added. Jeremiah Smith had one of the craziest freshman seasons ever. The Florida native caught 71 receptions for 1,227 yards with 14 tuddies. But the Cotton Bowl game? Steve Sarkisian’s Texas threw the kitchen sink at Smith, and it worked flawlessly. But while they locked him up, Ohio State still got the dub, proving they’ve got more tricks in the bag. But props to Steve Sarkisian for giving a good run for their money.

Top Comment by Lespaul

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Debate

Let’s not forget, Smith’s been ‘HIM’ in the playoffs. Tennessee? Man put up 103 yards and 2 tuddies like it was nothing. Then, against No.1 ranked Oregon, Smith went demonic—187 yards, 2 more touchdowns. Crazy, right? But Texas? They pulled out Sark’s secret Texas sauce, shut him down, and paid the price.

Now, Notre Dame’s up next, with one of the nastiest pass defenses in the game, holding teams to just 165.3 yards. Can Smith bounce back and cook, or will the Irish keep him on ice?

The key reason why Ryan Day would fall against Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s defense doesn’t play around. Averaging just 14.3 points allowed per game, they’re the second-best in the nation, right behind Ohio State. They’ve got lockdown corners and a linebacking corps that eats up mistakes for breakfast. Their ninth-best ranking in total yardage allowed and a fifth-best showing in third-down defense, and you’ve got a squad that can straight-up suffocate offenses. And don’t forget Michigan’s 13-10 win over Ohio State earlier in the season—that game is basically a cheat sheet for the Irish.

Jeremiyah Love and Riley Leonard are the one-two punches that keep defenses sweating. Love’s got over 1,100 yards on the season, and Leonard’s mobile QB game adds another 866. Together, they’ve racked up 210.8 yards per game on the ground, making Notre Dame a top-15 rushing team. Ohio State’s kryptonite this season? The run game. Michigan gashed them for 172 yards, and Oregon hit them for 155 in their losses. If Notre Dame brings that same energy, the Buckeyes might be in trouble.

Ryan Day has the talent, no question, but Notre Dame’s got the tools to flip the script. If the Irish defense puts double-man coverage on and clamps down on Jeremiah Smith and Egbuka, and their run game finds cracks in the Buckeye armor, it could be curtains for Ohio State’s natty dreams. Is it easy to say? Yes. Notre Dame needs more than locking up Jeremiah Smith to grab the natty. Anyway, it’s finna be one helluva game.