Upon reaching the end zone for a touchdown on Saturday, Jeremiah Smith made a relaxed leg-raising gesture.
This act served as a distinct statement directed at Heisman Trophy electors, despite recent betting lines positioning him as the second-most likely candidate to win.
By securing his 36th career touchdown reception, the Ohio State wideout established a new program high, surpassing the previous milestone held by Chris Olave.
Smith recorded a total of 10 receptions, accumulating 188 yards and finding the end zone twice during the matchup.
In the first half of the contest, Smith surpassed the university’s career receptions mark of 205, which was formerly established by Emeka Egbuka.
During the Buckeyes’ matchup with Kent State on Sept. 19, Smith claimed the school’s career receiving yardage record, and he secured the all-time touchdown catches record during the early portion of this game against Iowa.
Ohio State holds a commanding 31-6 advantage over the Hawkeyes on the road.
The Hawkeyes returned to their home stadium to host the No. 5 Buckeyes following a dramatic, last-second 20-19 victory on the road against then-No. 18 Michigan.
Having previously tied Ohio State’s single-game mark with four scoring receptions in a 42-19 triumph over Illinois, Smith also leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with an average of 154.3 receiving yards per contest.
Iowa is attempting to defeat both Michigan and Ohio State in the course of a single campaign for only the second time in school history. The Hawkeyes previously accomplished this in 1962 with identical 28-14 victories over both programs, despite ultimately concluding that year with a 4-5 record.
The most recent victory for Iowa against Ohio State occurred in 2017 during a dominant 55-24 performance. In their two subsequent head-to-head matchups, the Buckeyes claimed victories of 54-10 in 2022 and 35-7 in 2024.
