The Ohio State Buckeyes are in the middle of one of their most disappointing seasons in years. Prior to their 28-19 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats, head coach Ryan Day's team had lost consecutive games to USC and Oregon.
It was not an overly impressive performance, especially when the Buckeyes fumbled late in the fourth quarter and Northwestern went the length of the field and scored on the final play of the game. However, Ohio State was able to do enough to put their seventh victory on the board. They have two games left against Nebraska and Michigan, but it will still be a long shot for the Buckeyes to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
However, it is not a reach to say that Ohio State has the best player in college football in Jeremiah Smith. He has been the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy throughout the season, and he was very impressive in the win over the Wildcats.
Smith was targeted throughout the game by backup QB Luke Fahey. Fahey has taken over from injured QB Julian Sayin, and his performance against Northwestern was his best of the season. Fahey completed 21 of 32 passes for 201 yards with 3 TDs and 1 interception.
Smith caught 11 passes for 117 yards and 1 touchdown. Day believes that Smith has been the most outstanding player in the nation throughout the season.
“The award goes to the most outstanding player in the nation,” Day said after the game, per beat reporter Dillon Davis. “There are a lot of great players. However, every team wants to shut him down but he always comes through. This guy is completely dominant. He deserves it.”