Overview
- Smith has dropped to third in published Heisman power rankings after Ohio State’s loss to Oregon, even though he has about 1,200 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns through nine games.
- The Buckeyes sit at 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten after the Oregon defeat, a mark that makes an at-large playoff berth and a conference title run unlikely.
- Julian Sayin’s shoulder injury removed Ohio State’s starting quarterback from the lineup, forcing freshman Luke Fahey into two starts and prompting coach Ryan Day to keep Fahey as the starter despite those losses.
- Bookmakers and analysts have moved their top odds to quarterbacks, notably Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Miami’s Darian Mensah, with Miami also coping with receiver Malachi Toney’s ankle issue.
- Statistically Smith’s season is exceptional—Forbes ranks his yards per game in the top 0.1%—but Heisman voting favors quarterbacks on winning teams, so Smith’s path now depends on Ohio State winning out and regaining clear offensive stability.