Ohio State has the likely Heisman Trophy winner on its roster but he could also be the source of the team's doom later in the year, ironically. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has broken school records just about each game this season and we're only going into Week 6. That's because quarterback Julian Sayin likes to throw his way and Smith, even if he's got a defender with him, is usually open.
That connection has resulted in 823 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 44 catches. Again, the Buckeye have only played five games so far and Smith has already equaled or surpassed season totals the vast majority of other players at his position will accrue. However, head coach Ryan Day is wary Sayin's dependency on Smith to make plays will lead to unnecessary mistakes.
"If [Smith is] single-covered, he’s open. If he’s double-covered, he’s sort of open. If he’s triple-covered, he’s covered," Day explained to reporters Tuesday. "Somebody’s gotta be open somewhere else."
Jeremiah Smith's Heisman Trophy campaign could cost Ohio State another title chance
Day isn't wrong either. Ohio State's roster boasts a plethora of alternative receiving options Sayin can utilize with defenses likely to key in on Smith going forward. Despite the massive disparity in yardage totals from Smith, guys like Devin McCuin (245 yards, two TDs), Brandon Inniss (147 yards, one TD), Brock Boyd (110 yards) and Chris Henry Jr. (105 yards, two TDs) were recruited to Columbus for a reason. They can -- and will -- get open and find the endzone.
Even with Smith continuing on his blistering pace, Sayin needs to keep those guys involved in the pass attack because lack of targets can be just as detrimental as a lack of snaps. That can eventually engrain an assumption that Sayin is going to attempt to hit Smith on every down that isn't a run and when the ball does eventually come their way, they may not be fully engaged. Drops in those instances will be costly and can create situations where Sayin makes mistakes.
Day is trying to avoid those scenarios in which Sayin believes Smith is his only option just because he's the best player on the field. In big situations you do want to find your best player but if it's obvious that's where you're going, the coverage is just going to invite a turnover.
Sayin has only thrown one interception so far this season but he's taken nine sacks as well. Some of those can be attributed to holding onto the ball too long waiting for Smith to break away from defenders when he potentially had better options in his progressions. Day wouldn't be advising him about double and triple coverage like that if he hadn't already been showing the worrying tendency to wait for Smith.
Pay close attention to Sayin's progression and his target allocation the remainder of the season. Those will be key indicators as to his comfort level with the rest of his receiving corps. If he throws any more interceptions because he forced a ball to Smith, he can't say he wasn't warned.
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