Jeremiah Smith warns Oregon: If you play man, we'll go deep downfield

Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith issued a stern warning to No. 1 Oregon ahead of their rematch Wednesday in the CFP quarterfinals.

"I'm just laughing in my head. Why are y'all really playing man on man against us, or against me, I should say?" Smith said, according to ESPN's Chris Low. "And when we see man (coverage) against any of our receivers, we're going to take a shot down the field.

"So I'm just letting everybody know right now that if you play man Wednesday, we're taking a shot."

The standout freshman has routinely embarrassed opposing secondaries, burning Tennessee for six receptions, 107 yards, and two touchdowns in a 42-17 win in the first round of the CFP.

Smith logged nine catches for 100 yards and one touchdown in Ohio State's first meeting against Oregon in October. Yet the Ducks beat the Buckeyes 32-31.

"They're going to see a completely different player than the last time," Smith said. "Even (receivers) coach (Brian) Hartline told me the other day that I'm a whole different player from the first time we played Oregon ... It started with understanding the game plan and knowing what the defense is trying to do."

Smith also believes the rematch will be different because Ohio State is playing with added motivation after the players were "pissed off" following its fourth straight loss to rival Michigan during the regular-season finale.

"We were going to be ready for whoever we played first (in the playoff), and I can promise you we'll be ready for this game and everybody else who comes next," Smith said.

Smith won the Big Ten's Wide Receiver of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards after recording a team-leading 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns, as well as 63 receptions. He says he's bulked up to 225 pounds after initially arriving on campus weighing 208.

Smith is expected to see plenty of attention from an Oregon defense that surrendered the ninth-fewest passing yards in the country (175.7 yards per game). He'll headline a receiving corps that also features Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss, among others.