Ohio State's 30-18 loss to USC dealt a blow to their national championship aspirations and to wide receiver Jeremiah Smith's Heisman Trophy campaign.
Smith, who entered the week as the Heisman favorite, slipped to third in FanDuel Sportsbook odds at +340 behind Miami's Darian Mensah (+170) and Malachi Toney (+290). Despite 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, his 8.3 yards per reception was well below his season average of nearly 19 yards per catch.
Quarterback Luke Fahey, starting in place of injured Julian Sayin, completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown but struggled with downfield accuracy. A missed deep ball to Smith on a potential long touchdown highlighted the issue. USC's defense, which had allowed 11 passes of 30+ yards this season, held Smith to a long of 27 yards.
With upcoming games against Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan — all statistically better at preventing explosive passes — Smith's opportunities for highlight-reel plays may be limited. Ohio State's offense may shift to a run-heavy approach to protect Fahey, further reducing deep targets.
Meanwhile, Miami's quarterback-receiver duo of Mensah and Toney shined in a shootout win over North Carolina, with Mensah throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Miami's leaky defense forces a high-octane offense, giving their stars more chances to produce Heisman moments, especially with a national TV game against Notre Dame next.
Smith's Heisman chances now partly depend on Notre Dame slowing down Miami's offense. While Smith is already considered one of the best receivers in Big Ten history, winning the Heisman as a receiver requires a late surge that now looks like an uphill battle.
