Ohio State's 30-18 loss at USC dealt a blow to both the team's championship aspirations and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith's Heisman Trophy campaign.
Smith entered the game as the Heisman favorite but dropped to third in FanDuel Sportsbook odds at +340, behind Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (+170) and receiver Malachi Toney (+290).
Despite a productive outing of 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, Smith's yards per reception fell to 8.3 from his season average of nearly 19, and his longest gain was 27 yards against a USC defense that had allowed 11 passes of 30-plus yards this season.
Quarterback Luke Fahey, making his first start after Julian Sayin's potential season-ending injury, completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown but struggled with downfield accuracy, missing a potential long touchdown to Smith.
Rainy conditions in Los Angeles may have contributed, but the Buckeyes' remaining schedule — Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan — features defenses statistically better at preventing explosive passes.
Meanwhile, Miami's Mensah and Toney shone in a shootout win over North Carolina, with Mensah throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns and Toney catching two scores, including the game-sealer.
Miami's upcoming game against Notre Dame offers the Hurricanes' duo a national stage to bolster their Heisman cases, while Smith's hopes now partly depend on the Irish defense slowing them down.
Smith, already regarded as the best receiver in Big Ten history, still has a path to the award but needs rapid improvement from Fahey, favorable results elsewhere, and more after-the-catch production with fewer deep opportunities.
