Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith said it himself, "38-7 isn't that close."
In Ohio State's 31-point win over Michigan State, the Eleven Warriors staff thinks three Buckeyes stood out above their teammates in the dominant performance: Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs and Emeka Egbuka.
This week, Smith, Downs and Egbuka earn top honors as the Eleven Warriors Three Stars of the Game, with Smith as the first star, Downs as the second and Egbuka as the third. Smith now leads all Buckeyes as a three-time selection, while Egbuka accompanies Quinshon Judkins as a two-time selection.
First Star: Jeremiah Smith
Just a kid from Miami Gardens, Florida, Smith is one of the best freshmen in college football. He's also one of the best wide receivers and the best players overall. The 18-year-old proved that with yet another standout performance against Michigan State.
In three quarters of action, Smith recorded six touches for 102 total yards and two total touchdowns. Smith's first score was an 18-yard touchdown run, and his second score was a 17-yard one-handed catch that broke the internet.
Jeremiah Smith scores his fifth touchdown in four games for the Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/jFBDK0rSWJ
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 29, 2024
Jeremiah Smith is unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/puaxrnm2dP
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 29, 2024
Another one of his receptions was this contested catch over two Michigan State defenders:
Cant forget how insane this Jeremiah Smith catch was either. pic.twitter.com/VZ5gJiiCxz
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 29, 2024
"He does it every day in practice. He doesn’t say a word but works his tail off," Ryan Day said of Smith. "His discipline. His humility. He loves being a Buckeye. You can tell with the way he works with his teammates. And he’s coming out of his shell a little bit, too, which is great to see. The talent speaks for itself. I am just impressed with the discipline and the hard work and being able to step in at a young age. ... This is a special young man.”
Second Star: Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs arrived on Saturday.
In Ohio State's wins over Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall, Buckeye Nation saw Downs stand out from time to time. However, it wasn't until the Buckeyes' Big Ten opener that the Alabama transfer could shine on a consistent basis.
Downs earns our second star for his six tackles, three solo stops and one tackle for loss against Michigan State. While those numbers don't pop off the page, don't be fooled: MSU felt Downs' presence whenever the 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back walked between the lines at Spartan Stadium.
Caleb Downs is special
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 29, 2024
The @OhioStateFB DB read this screen, and was having none of it.#B1GFootball on Peacock pic.twitter.com/exwIEO2bqm
"I thought Caleb played great tonight. He showed up in a big way and in a bunch of different spots," Day said. "You can see the acceleration and how fast he plays. Part of that is his athleticism, but another part is just the way he prepares. I mean, he prepares as hard as anybody on our team. He was all over the place tonight. He made a huge difference."
Third Star: Emeka Egbuka
Smith was Ohio State's best receiver and player against Michigan State, but Egbuka wasn't far behind. The senior pass-catcher collected seven catches for 96 yards and one touchdown in the contest. Those numbers could have been a little bit better had he not dropped two passes from Will Howard in the first half.
Egbuka's best moment on Saturday came in the third quarter. With Ohio State's offense facing 4th-and-5 from the Michigan State 33-yard line, Will Howard delivered a strike to Egbuka at the 18-yard line, and the star receiver did the rest, running the ball down the left side of the field and into the end zone.
With Ohio States offense facing 4th-and-5, Will Howard and Emeka Egbuka deliver a 33-yard touchdown. pic.twitter.com/zI0A3dRTRz
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 29, 2024
Oh, and this block was pretty good, too:
Emeka Egbuka can block, too pic.twitter.com/sGf4ApDFaj
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 29, 2024
| OPPONENT | FIRST STAR / ★ | SECOND STAR / ★★ | THIRD STAR / ★★★ |
|---|---|---|---|
| AKRON |
JEREMIAH SMITH, WR 6 catches, 92 yards, 2 TD |
LATHAN RANSOM, S 9 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 FR, 1 TD |
JT TUIMOLOAU, DE 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN |
QUINSHON JUDKINS, RB 9 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD |
JEREMIAH SMITH, WR 5 catches, 119 yards, TD |
JACK SAWYER, DE 3 tackles, 1 sack |
| MARSHALL |
QUINSHON JUDKINS, RB 14 carries, 176 yards, 2 TD |
TREVEYON HENDERSON, RB 6 carries, 76 yards, 2 TD |
EMEKA EGBUKA, WR 5 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD |
| @ MICHIGAN STATE |
JEREMIAH SMITH, WR 6 touches, 102 yards, 2 TD |
CALEB DOWNS, S 6 tackles, 3 solo, 1 TFL |
EMEKA EGBUKA, WR 7 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD |
As the season continues, we will track the stars (or points) each Ohio State player receives in 2024. Here's how we'll do it: Each time a Buckeye earns the first star of the game, that Buckeye will add three points to their season total. Then, the second star and third star will add two points and one point to their totals. Here is the total after four games:
| RANK | PLAYER | FIRST STAR / ★ | SECOND STAR / ★★ | THIRD STAR / ★★★ | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEREMIAH SMITH | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | QUINSHON JUDKINS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| T-3 | LATHAN RANSOM | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| T-3 | TREVEYON HENDERSON | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| T-3 | CALEB DOWNS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | EMEKA EGBUKA | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| T-7 | JACK SAWYER | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| T-7 | JT TUIMOLOAU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
