Jeremiah Smith's Heisman hopes take hit after Ohio State's offense sputtered with new QB in USC loss

Luke Fahey’s debut in L.A. didn’t go as planned and the Buckeyes’ star receiver may slide out of the Heisman favorite status

No one was quite sure what to expect from the Ohio State offense coming out of a bye with a new quarterback under center after Julian Sayin's potential season-ending injury late in the win over Indiana two weeks ago. A 30-18 loss on the road at USC was a concerning one for the Buckeyes on a number of fronts. The obvious is that this is a team with national championship aspirations, and while Fahey wasn't disastrous, the Buckeyes struggled to create big plays against a Trojans defense that has been among the Big Ten's worst this season at limiting explosives. A secondary concern in Columbus, though one that resonates nationally, is Jeremiah Smith's Heisman campaign.

Smith entered the week as the solid favorite ahead of Miami's duo of Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney, but after Saturday's loss in L.A., he slipped to third in the odds (+340) behind both of the Hurricanes' stars at FanDuel Sportsbook. Smith had a productive game against USC with 10 catches (on 12 targets) for 83 yards and one touchdown, and the target share suggests he'll still have a puncher's chance to hold onto the Heisman he seemingly got one hand on in the first half of the season. The concern is that USC's defense was figured to be one of the friendliest Ohio State