As the No. 1 Oregon Ducks gear up for their College Football Playoff rematch against Ohio State, slowing down Buckeyes’ standout freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith will be a key challenge. Pat McAfee recently praised Smith on The Pat McAfee Show, calling him a top-ten NFL Draft talent and highlighting his effortless ability to create explosive plays.
EUGENE- The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are preparing to go head-to-head with a seemingly new conference rival, Ohio State, in one of, if not the biggest games of the season. The Ducks and Buckeyes will meet for the second time this season in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl.
The Ducks are riding a historic season, holding a 13-0 record for the first time in program history and standing as the only remaining undefeated team in the FBS. Although Oregon has already beaten Ohio State once this season, that doesn’t make the upcoming matchup any less challenging, especially after seeing Ohio State coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly utilize the talent in their wide receiver room, specifically true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
While Oregon earned a bye after defeating Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Buckeyes had to earn its spot in the quarterfinals with a win over Tennessee.
In Ohio State’s 42-17 win in the first round of the CFP, true freshman receiver Smith had the opportunity to prove just how dominant of a receiver he is. Smith finished the game with 103 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.
On Monday, Pat McAfee had former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit on his show, and they discussed the upcoming matchup between Oregon and Ohio State, specifically Smith and his ability to effortlessly create explosive plays.
“Jeremiah, when I looked over at him, the ball was up,” McAfee said. “So, I’m looking at Jeremiah. He had no idea the ball was coming. He had no clue the ball was coming. He actually looks back at Will Howard at one point. The ball is in the air at this point. Then, he notices, ‘Oh, the ball is coming.’ Then he tracks it and finds it. It was just so comfortable, so calm—there was no panic at all… It was almost matter-of-fact, it felt like he was just strolling down the sidewalk,”
– Pat McAfree
McAfee then proceeded to claim that Smith, as a true freshman, would be a top-ten pick right now if he were to declare for the draft. Smith leads Ohio State with 1,037 receiving yards and the Big Ten Conference with 12 receiving touchdowns, placing him among the top 15 in the nation.
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