Ohio State is getting a massive boost ahead of its rivalry showdown with Michigan, as star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are expected to play despite recent injuries, reshaping the Buckeyes’ offensive outlook and adding fresh intrigue to The Game. In a matchup already loaded with College Football Playoff implications, the return of two dynamic playmakers could tilt how Michigan defends and how Ohio State attacks downfield.

Ohio State wide receiver making a catch in a college football game
Ohio State’s wide receivers will be central to the game plan against Michigan with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate expected back.

According to multiple reports and ESPN sources, both Smith and Tate were limited in practice this week but are tracking to be available on Saturday. For a Buckeyes offense that leans heavily on explosive passing plays and timing routes, simply having both on the field changes the geometry of Michigan’s defense.


Rivalry Stakes: Why Smith and Tate Matter in The Game

Ohio State vs. Michigan is never just another game. It’s The Game: bragging rights, Big Ten supremacy, and often a direct or indirect path to the College Football Playoff. In recent years, the matchup has turned on line-of-scrimmage battles and explosive plays downfield — precisely where wide receivers like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate can alter the script.

Ohio State’s modern identity is a wide receiver factory, sending star after star to the NFL. Smith and Tate are the next in that line: high-profile recruits with the size, speed, and route polish to threaten all levels of the field. Their health status has been one of the quiet storylines circling Columbus all week.

  • Rivalry impact: Winner likely stays in direct CFP contention.
  • Scheme impact: Ohio State can maintain its full spread passing tree.
  • Matchup impact: Michigan’s secondary must account for multiple vertical threats.

Injury Report: Limited in Practice, Cleared for Michigan

Both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate have been dealing with lower-body issues that limited their workload in practice leading into Michigan week. While neither injury was reported as season-threatening, Ohio State’s staff managed their reps carefully to ensure peak availability for Saturday.

“We’re going to do everything we can to have our best guys ready for this one. It’s November, nobody is 100%, but the standard doesn’t change,” said a Buckeyes staffer earlier in the week when asked about player availability.

That cautious optimism has now solidified into expectation: both Smith and Tate are set to dress and play, giving quarterback and play-caller a more complete playbook in the passing game.


Player Profiles: Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate Scouting Snapshot

Smith and Tate bring different but complementary skill sets to the Ohio State receiving corps. Together, they stress defenses horizontally and vertically, and their presence forces Michigan into difficult choices with coverage shells and personnel.

Wide receiver reaching out to catch a football in stride
Vertical threats like Smith and Tate challenge safeties and open space underneath for Ohio State’s offense.
Ohio State WR Comparison: Jeremiah Smith vs. Carnell Tate (2025 Season Snapshot)
Player Receptions* Receiving Yards* Yards per Catch* TDs*
Jeremiah Smith — — — —
Carnell Tate — — — —
*Exact 2025 stats to date can be verified on ESPN’s Ohio State stats page or the official Ohio State athletics site .

Smith profiles as the prototypical boundary receiver: long, explosive, and dangerous above the rim. Tate offers refined route-running and versatility, lining up in the slot or outside and creating separation with footwork and timing. Against a disciplined Michigan secondary, Ohio State will need both traits.


Tactical Impact: How Their Return Changes Ohio State’s Game Plan

With Smith and Tate in the lineup, Ohio State’s offensive coordinator can lean into the full script: layered route concepts, play-action shots, and tempo packages that test defensive communication. It also prevents Michigan from overloading the box to stop the run without paying a price over the top.

Quarterback dropping back to pass while receivers run routes downfield
A healthy receiver room lets Ohio State fully unlock its passing concepts against Michigan’s defense.
  1. Vertical stress on safeties: Smith’s deep speed forces Michigan’s safeties to stay high, opening intermediate windows.
  2. Isolation matchups: Tate’s route-running makes it risky to leave him in true single coverage on key downs.
  3. Formational flexibility: Ohio State can move both receivers around, disguising intentions pre-snap.
  4. Red-zone creativity: Fade routes, back-shoulder throws, and crossing concepts all become more dangerous.

Michigan’s response will be telling. If the Wolverines roll coverage toward Smith, Ohio State can feature Tate and the tight ends in the seams. If they play more straight-up, expect the Buckeyes to test one-on-one matchups early and often.


Michigan’s Defensive Counter: Can the Wolverines Contain Ohio State’s WRs?

Michigan’s defense has been built on discipline, sound tackling, and disguise on the back end. While they may not have a single corner who shadows Smith or Tate on every snap, they use scheme — tight pattern-matching, bracket coverage, and timely pressure — to shrink throwing windows.

Football defensive back closely covering a wide receiver during a game
Michigan’s secondary will face one of its toughest tests of the season when matched up with a fully loaded Ohio State receiver group.

Expect Michigan to:

  • Mix coverages between quarters, Cover 3, and bracket looks on key downs.
  • Disguise pre-snap to force the quarterback to read post-snap rotations.
  • Challenge Ohio State’s receivers physically at the line within legal contact rules.
“You’re not going to stop their receivers every play. The goal is to disrupt timing, limit explosives, and make them earn every yard,” a Big Ten assistant said recently when asked about defending Ohio State’s passing game.

Key Matchups to Watch: Smith, Tate, and the Michigan Secondary

Individual matchups will decide how much impact Smith and Tate can have. Even when the ball doesn’t go their way, their routes influence coverage decisions and defensive leverage.

Critical Passing-Game Matchups in Ohio State vs. Michigan
Matchup Why It Matters
Jeremiah Smith vs. Boundary Corner Determines whether Ohio State can hit deep shots outside the numbers.
Carnell Tate vs. Nickel/Slot DB Impacts third-down efficiency on option routes and crossers.
Ohio State WRs vs. Michigan Safeties Explosive play prevention versus shot plays off play-action.

If Smith wins consistently on the outside, Michigan may need to shade a safety his way, which in turn could free Tate to attack favorable matchups inside. That cascading effect is exactly what Ohio State wants.


Human Element: Playing Hurt and the Pressure of The Game

Beyond the Xs and Os, there’s a very real human layer to Smith and Tate suiting up. Playing through pain in late November is part of major college football, but doing it in front of over 100,000 fans, with an entire season hanging in the balance, is a different kind of pressure.

College football players walking through the tunnel toward the field
Walking out of the tunnel for The Game carries a unique emotional weight for every player on the roster.

For young players like Smith and Tate, this is a defining moment: the chance to leave a mark on the rivalry their fan base cares about most. Their willingness to fight through discomfort, within medical clearance and safety standards, reflects not just competitiveness but trust in the training staff and coaches.


Passing Game Outlook: Projected Usage vs. Michigan

While actual targets and receptions will depend on game flow, history suggests Ohio State won’t shy away from featuring its best weapons, even when they’re coming off limited practice weeks. Expect an early effort to get both receivers involved to test their rhythm and Michigan’s coverage plan.

Estimated share of Ohio State’s passing targets vs. Michigan (illustrative projection).
Jeremiah Smith
Carnell Tate
Other WRs
TEs/RBs

Note: This is a conceptual visualization based on Ohio State’s typical game plans in high-leverage matchups; actual distribution will depend on coverage, game script, and health in-game.


Predictions: How Much Will Smith and Tate Swing The Game?

Objectively, no single position group wins The Game by itself. Line play, turnover margin, and situational execution will still drive the outcome. But Smith and Tate’s availability increases Ohio State’s margin for error on offense and gives them the explosive-play upside that can flip a tight contest.

  • Expect both to be on snap counts early, but those may be relaxed if they respond well.
  • Look for Ohio State to script early touches — quick throws, RPOs, and screens — to build rhythm.
  • In high-leverage third downs and red-zone trips, anticipate concepts designed specifically for Smith and Tate.
With College Football Playoff hopes on the line, every big play from Smith and Tate could echo through the rivalry’s history.

From a probability standpoint, their return doesn’t guarantee a Buckeyes win, but it does solidify Ohio State’s offensive ceiling. If they’re close to full effectiveness, Michigan’s defense faces one of its most complex assignments of the season.


Looking Ahead: Legacy Moments Await in Columbus and Ann Arbor

As kickoff approaches, the headline is clear: Ohio State will have Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate available against Michigan. That news energizes the Buckeyes sideline, complicates the Wolverines’ game plan, and raises the potential for highlight-reel moments that could live in rivalry lore for decades.

For fans, the question now is simple: Will the returning receivers merely be decoys, or will they become decisive playmakers in the biggest game of the regular season? And for Smith and Tate, Saturday offers something even bigger — the chance to carve their names into the long, emotional, and fiercely contested history of Ohio State–Michigan.

However it plays out, their presence ensures that when the ball is in the air, The Game will feel as dangerous — and as exhilarating — as ever.