Nick Saban Makes Stark Admission About Ohio State Star Jeremiah Smith
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are preparing for a national championship matchup, set to take the field on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Before the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish battle for the national title trophy, ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Pat McAfee recorded an episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Fellow “College GameDay” analyst Nick Saban joined McAfee to discuss the best player matchups in the national championship.
Both agreed that OSU true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has proven to be one of the most dominant players in the College Football Playoff.
Saban mentioned that Ohio State should prioritize getting the ball to Smith, but it needs to be careful with force-feeding the star wide receiver.
“So you can design ways for guys to get the ball,” Saban said. “Which this guy [Jeremiah Smith] needs to get the ball, because he’s a great player. But, the defense can also determine where the quarterback throws the ball by how they’re playing. You have to take both of those things into consideration. And, the quarterback can’t force it there because then you’re subject to turnovers and bad plays.
So far this season, Smith has recorded 14 touchdowns and 1,227 yards on 71 receptions. He leads the Buckeyes in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
During the College Football Playoff, Smith has produced four touchdowns and 293 yards on 14 receptions.
He’s clearly been one of the most talented skill players in college football, but Saban is warning the Buckeyes to be careful with their game plan.
Nick Saban
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While Smith has received much of the credit for Ohio State’s explosive offense, the Buckeyes also have arguably the best backfield in college football with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.
Ohio State also fields wide receiver Emeka Egbuka on the opposite side of Smith. He has recorded 10 receiving touchdowns and 947 yards with a team-leading 75 receptions.
