Jeremiah Smith has 38 career touchdown catches, and Braylon Edwards holds the Big Ten record with 39. Smith needs one touchdown to tie it and two to break it. He gets his first chance Saturday, October 17, at noon ET at Indiana, against one of the nation’s top defenses.
Smith has been scoring about 1.8 touchdowns a game this season. The record is within reach, but Indiana is a very different test. Here’s everything fans want to know.
The Records in Play
| Record | Holder | Smith now | What he needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career receiving TDs (Big Ten) | Braylon Edwards, Michigan, 39 (2001-04) | 38 | 1 to tie, 2 to break |
| Career receiving yards (Big Ten) | John Standeford, Purdue, 3,788 (2000-03) | 3,474 | About 315 yards |
| Single-season receiving TDs (Big Ten) | Desmond Howard, Michigan, 19 (1991) | 11 in six games | 9 to tie |
Smith already owns Ohio State’s career records for catches, yards and touchdowns. He passed the school touchdown mark on October 3 at Iowa.
How He Got Here
Through six games, Smith has 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns. His career line is 211 catches, 3,474 yards and 38 touchdowns.
He has scored two or more touchdowns in three straight games: four against Illinois, two at Iowa and two against Maryland. Against Maryland, he scored on his first catch, then added a 40-yarder, and finished with 93 yards on four catches.
He’s now the Heisman favorite, at -220 odds on BetMGM as of Monday. Nick Saban called him the best player in the country on College GameDay, and LeBron James said during the Maryland game that Smith should win the Heisman.
The Indiana Test
Indiana’s defense is no pushover. Through six games, the Hoosiers rank fifth in the FBS in scoring defense and 12th in total defense, allowing 263.5 yards per game.
Smith’s history against them is mixed:
- 2024: Ohio State won 38-15, but Smith had a quiet day, with three catches for 34 yards on five targets. It was the lowest receiving total of his career against a Big Ten opponent.
- 2025 Big Ten title game: Smith led Ohio State with eight catches on nine targets for 144 yards, but the Buckeyes lost 13-10.
Ryan Day has also warned that Indiana forces you to win your one-on-one battles. And with receivers Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss still uncertain, defenses will keep focusing on Smith.
What Fans Are Asking
Will he score Saturday? Smith averages nearly two touchdown catches a game. Even against a top defense, I’d expect him to find the end zone at least once, but that’s my opinion, not a certainty.
Can he break the record against Indiana? Breaking it takes two touchdowns, which is a tougher ask against this defense.
If not Saturday, when? The schedule helps him. After Indiana, Ohio State has a bye on October 24, then plays at USC, hosts Oregon, Northwestern, goes to Nebraska and closes with Michigan, plus a possible Big Ten title game and playoff games. Writers have predicted he’ll own the career touchdown record well before the season ends.
My Take
The record is a matter of when, not if. Smith needs just two touchdowns, and Ohio State has at least seven games left. But a record game at Indiana would be a statement against the best defense he’ll see so far. If the offensive line holds, I’d bet on at least one touchdown Saturday.
How to Watch Ohio State vs. Indiana: Time, TV Channel and Live Stream (Oct. 17, 2026)
https://allsportsreports.com/how-to-watch-ohio-state-vs-indiana-time-tv-channel-and-live-stream-oct-17-2026/
