Matchup To Watch: Indiana DB’s vs. Jeremiah Smith

The reigning National Champion Indiana Hoosiers continue their title defense this Saturday against the Ohio State Buckeyes as the Hoosiers look to remain undefeated. The FOX Sports Big Noon Kickoff matchup between two top-five teams should prove to be one of the best games of the season. As things stand right now, Ohio State is given a 52.1% chance to win per ESPN Analytics, so it is basically as good as a coin flip as to who comes out on top in Bloomington. If the Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes, it will be because they contained all-world wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Conversely, if the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers, Smith likely went for 150+ yards and torched the IU secondary.

Ohio State’s offense is built around Jeremiah Smith. So far in 2026, he is averaging 8 receptions for 153 yards and 1.8 touchdowns per game. However, these averages are brought down due to Smith’s “lackluster” performance against Kent State, where he “only” went for 85 yards on 5 receptions in a 59-3 win where he barely played. If you take away that outlier, Smith averages 9 receptions for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns per game. As such, he is currently the Heisman Trophy favorite as of this writing.

So that is the bar. 166 yards and 2 touchdowns. If the Hoosiers allow Smith to reach his average, what happens? Well, he basically hit that exact average against the Texas Longhorns earlier this season where the Buckeyes lost by one point – their only loss on the year. This is probably the best comparison for the Hoosiers, as both the Longhorns and the Hoosiers boast elite defenses.

However, the Hoosiers have struggled in the secondary at times this season. The best game to point to in this regard is likely the Northwestern game, where Wildcat quarterback Aidan Chiles carved up the IU secondary to the tune of 22/29 for 293 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. This shows vulnerabilities, which OSU quarterback Julian Sayin and his favorite target Jeremiah Smith can absolutely attack.

On a positive end, the Hoosiers are 3rd in the nation in sacks with 20 total sacks. Indiana knows how to get pressure, which eases off responsibility from the secondary, which hasn’t been the same since D’Angelo Ponds left for the NFL. They will need to generate efficient pressure on Saturday, or else Jeremiah Smith could feast early and often. Then, with efficient pressure established, the Indiana defensive backs will need to be smart. They’ll need to break out every trick up their sleeve, every disguise in the playbook, and every look they can give Sayin pre and post-snap.

This will be the toughest matchup Indiana’s defensive backs will face all season. How many players will they put on Smith? Two? Two plus a shadow? Three? Jeremiah Smith leads the Buckeyes with 48 receptions on the season. Next on the list? Devin McCuin with 17 receptions (3.4 per game, with only 5 of the 6 games played for McCuin). It is clear that Smith will be targeted no matter what. If another player beats you, so be it. The Hoosiers need to contain Smith. However, every team has said that this season and it hasn’t worked – can defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and this IU secondary find the answer?

As always, thanks for reading! Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle for all things Indiana football – and Indiana sports in general – all season long. Go Hoosiers!