Mysterious Jeremiah Smith injury sends Ohio State fans into pregame panic

The Ohio State Buckeyes didn't truly hit their stride until the College Football Playoff arrived. In the postseason, the Buckeyes lived up to all the hype and more, especially Jeremiah Smith.

Worryingly, Smith might have an issue that could slow him down in the national title game against Notre Dame.

Pete Nakos of On3 spied a wrap around Smith's left hamstring while he was warming up before the game.

Jeremiah Smith's wrapped hamstring caused concern before CFP title game

The words "Jeremiah Smith" and "hamstring" in the same sentence will have sent bolts of concern through the hearts of every Ohio State fan.

Fortunately, Smith seemed to be running just fine running routes against air. Those warm ups don't mean he's at 100 percent (we don't know if he's not, to be clear), but he's certainly capable of running as needed.

The hope will be Smith is just wearing a bit of compression as a precaution at the end of a long season. If he has a minor hamstring tweak that requires additional compression, that's a bigger concern.

The freshman phenom was already well known as on of the brightest young players in college football but he took his game to the next level in the CFP. Against Tennessee and Oregon he topped 100 yards receiving while catching two touchdowns in each game. Texas' defensive game plan to triple cover him limited his stats but opened big opportunities for his fellow receivers.

Smith is a handful and a half to deal with, but the Buckeyes have other playmakers who benefit from the attention he receives. Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate are more than capable of hurting a defense if given the chance.

Needless to say, Smith is a huge part of Ohio State's offensive success. They need him to make a similar impact with the national title on the line. He can do that with or without a wrap around his leg.