Ohio State Smith Breaks Record in Win

Ohio State defeated Northwestern 28-19 on November 14, 2026, at Ohio Stadium, snapping a two-game losing streak and keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith caught 11 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown. He broke Purdue alumnus John Standeford’s all-time Big Ten receiving record during the victory, according to Yahoo Sports. Standeford accumulated 3,788 receiving yards across four seasons from 2000 to 2003. Smith surpassed that figure in less than three seasons at No. 20 Ohio State.

Smith also matched Purdue player David Bell and Michigan player Braylon Edwards for the most 100-yard receiving games in Big Ten history with his 17th such performance. He entered the game holding the conference record for career receiving touchdowns, bringing his total to 42 scoring receptions.

“The No. 1 goal is to win, but we have an obligation to this young man, what’s done for our program, who he is as a person, how he plays, what he does for his teammates, what he means to this program,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said, adding that Smith deserves the opportunity to touch the football.

Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey completed 21 of 32 pass attempts for 201 yards, throwing three touchdowns and one interception in place of injured starter Julian Sayin. Fahey connected with Isaiah West on a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter and later threw an 8-yard scoring pass to Devin McCuin in the third quarter before sealing the victory with a 10-yard touchdown throw to Smith, Limaohio reported.

“I’m starting to get a little more comfortable, but I don’t think you ever get comfortable in this position,” Fahey said. “You have to keep growing.”

Running back Bo Jackson carried the ball 20 times for 114 yards and scored a touchdown on a 2-yard direct snap in the Wildcat formation. This was his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.

The Ohio State defensive line sacked Northwestern backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol five times after recording only 11 total sacks through the first nine games of the season, Limaohio reported. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. tallied two sacks, while Qua Russaw, Will Smith Jr., and James Smith each added one.

Marchiol completed 18 of 31 passes for 225 yards and one touchdown for Northwestern. Teammate Luke Dehnicke caught five passes for 88 yards, including a touchdown reception in the final seconds of the game. Kicker Jackson Kleather contributed two field goals for the Wildcats, who dropped to a 6-4 overall record and 3-4 in Big Ten play.

Ohio State improves to 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the conference following the victory witnessed by an announced crowd of 101,256 at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes will travel to face Nebraska on November 21, 2026, while Northwestern visits Minnesota on the same date, according to Associated Press schedules published by ABC7.