The first day of 2025 ended top being the Jeremiah Smith coming out party. During the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl, the young Ohio State star dominated No. 1-ranked Oregon all day and helped lead Ohio State to a 41-21 win and a spot in the semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.

Smith got going early with a touchdown on the opening drive, just one minute into the game. He continued to make big catch after big catch throughout the day, helping Ohio State fend off any momentum that this Oregon football was able to generate throughout the game. After the game finished, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning had high praise for the true freshman superstar, via Zachary Neel of USA Today.

“He attacks the ball as well as any receiver I've ever seen,” Lanning said of Smith, per Neel. “He's NFL ready, the guy is that special.”

For the game, Smith led the team with seven catches for 18 yards and two touchdowns. He was a walking explosive play all night and found the end zone twice on his way to earning the game's offensive MVP honors.

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Ohio State has started to tap into Smith and his running mate, future NFL Draft pick Emeka Egbuka, as its primary offensive weapons. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has been calling a much more aggressive offense during blowout wins over Tennessee and Oregon during these playoffs, and this Ohio State offense looks like an entirely different beast as a result.

Smith has been used on a variety of different routes. He has had success on isolation routes outside the numbers, as a deep threat or as a chain mover underneath. His first touchdown of this Rose Bowl came on a slide route, with Smith cutting across the formation behind the offensive line to get some space. With his ability to win at the catch point and after the catch, he was a headache for both Oregon's and Tennessee's defense to handle.

When being utilized in this way, Smith is one of the best players left in this College Football Playoff despite being a true freshman. If Ohio State can continue to weaponize him, he has the ability and the power to swing any game going forward.