Over the last two years, the Texas Longhorns have held the best wide receiver in the country to just seven catches for 46 yards and no touchdowns.
That receiver was Jeremiah Smith, and the Horns are going to have to continue shutting him down as he and the Ohio State Buckeyes come to the 40 Acres.
Even though those matchups resulted in losses for Texas, limiting Smith's impact gave the Horns a fighting chance and kept both games within reach up until the clocks hit zero.
- 2024-25 CFP Semifinal matchup: Ohio State won 28-14; Smith had 1 reception, 3 yards, 0 TDs
- 2025 Week 1 matchup: Ohio State won 14-7; Smith had 6 receptions, 43 yards, 0 TDs
The No. 1 Buckeyes and the No. 4 Longhorns are set to face off, once again, as Week 2 of the college football season kicks off. Ohio State's go-to guy on offense is, once again, none other than Smith.
If Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is able to connect with Smith downfield too frequently, not only will Texas's secondary already be two steps behind the wideout, but they won't be able to catch up.
Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has to spend the next few days instilling the fact that Smith is one of the biggest priorities on Saturday, because if he doesn't, the Horns will lose to the Buckeyes once again.
Obviously, in their first meeting, when the Buckeyes secured their College Football Playoff semifinal win to eventually win the National Championship, Smith was a true freshman and was playing alongside fellow star wide receivers Carnell Tate and Emeka Egbuka.
However, Texas also held him to a minimal performance in 2025, when the teams clashed in the first game of the season, allowing him to earn just 43 receiving yards on six receptions (7.17 yards per catch).
Of course, Muschamp wasn't the defensive coordiantor for the Horns in their last two meetings with the Buckeyes, it was Pete Kwiatkowski.
The Longhorn secondary has to play its best game ever in Week 2
Just a week ago, even though the Longhorns held the Texas State Bobcats to just seven points, Texas gave up way too many yards through the air and allowed its opponent to hold onto the ball for way too long for the same style of defense to carry on through the rest of the season.
Especially in Week 2.
In Week 1, the Bobcats were able to earn 188 yards through the air and ate up nearly 30 minutes of the game clock. That can't continue -- not against Ohio State, and not against any of Texas's SEC opponents.
Star defensive backs like Jelani McDonald, Graceson Littleton, Jonah Williams, and the rest of the defensive secondary will have to be at their best on Saturday. It's that simple.
Texas and Ohio State are scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 12, and it could take just one drive to see where the Longhorns' secondary stands in relation to Smith's abilities. So, take a seat, buckle up, and get ready for a show.
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