Indiana HC Curt Cignetti Talks There Being ‘No One Like’ OSU’s Jeremiah Smith

Ohio State Buckeyes superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith continues to draw strong praise from the opposition, a list of people that now includes the head coach of the team that has won 22 consecutive games.

“He’s taken it up a notch, without question. I think he has nine touchdown catches in the last three Power Four conference games. There’s no one like him right now playing at this level,” Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti said about Smith at a press conference Monday. “He’s a freak, and we’re going to have to do a great job on him.”

No. 5 Indiana (6-0) hosts No. 4 Ohio State (5-1) on Saturday (12 p.m. ET on FOX), with FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” on site in Bloomington for the Big Ten showdown. Last year, Indiana defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship en route to winning its first national championship in program history.

The Hoosiers are coming off a Week 6 scare on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as they rallied from down 11 points in the fourth quarter to escape with a 20-17 victory.

As for the scare in store for Indiana in Week 7, Smith, who already stood out in momentous fashion across his freshman and sophomore seasons, has taken his game to another level this season for Ohio State.

In fact, Smith has become the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in receptions (211), receiving yards (3,474) and receiving touchdowns (38). Prior to Ohio State’s Week 6 win against the Maryland Terrapins, he combined for 23 receptions for 423 yards and six touchdowns in wins over the Iowa Hawkeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini.

In all, Smith has logged 48 receptions for 916 yards (19.1 yards per reception) and 11 touchdowns, which all lead the Big Ten and are each second in the nation, across Ohio State’s six games this season. In 2025, he led the Big Ten with both 87 receptions and 1,243 receiving yards, while leading the conference with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt recently said that Smith is “entering the chat” for the greatest Buckeyes player ever.

The looming heavyweight battle features an Ohio State offense that’s first in the Big Ten in total yards (503.5 per game) and points (42.7 per game) going up against an Indiana defense that has given up the fewest points in the conference (11.8 per game) and is third in opponent total yards (263.5 per game). Meanwhile, Indiana’s offense is second in the Big Ten in total yards (462.7 per game) and third in points (40.2 per game) and will face an Ohio State defense that’s second in the conference in both opponent total yards (246.8 per game) and opponent points (13.2 per game).