Jeremiah Smith falls behind Miami duo in Heisman odds after Ohio State loss

Jeremiah Smith lost his position as the Heisman Trophy betting favorite after Ohio State fell 30-18 at USC on Saturday. The Buckeyes receiver finished with 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, but Miami teammates Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney moved ahead of him in FanDuel Sportsbook's odds following their victory at North Carolina.

Ohio State returned from its bye with Luke Fahey at quarterback after Julian Sayin suffered a potentially season-ending injury late in the win over Indiana two weeks earlier. Against USC, Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown. The Buckeyes struggled to generate big gains through the air and had difficulties in the red zone.

Smith remained a frequent target, catching 10 of the 12 passes thrown his way. However, his average of 8.3 yards per reception was well below the figure of just under 19 yards he carried into the game. Much of his production came late, after Ohio State had fallen behind by three scores, and his longest reception covered 27 yards.

The Trojans entered the matchup having allowed 11 pass plays of at least 30 yards, placing them 83rd nationally in that category. Fahey struggled with his downfield accuracy in rainy conditions in Los Angeles. On one potential long touchdown, Smith had gained two steps on his defender but slipped while adjusting to a pass that was well underthrown.

Ohio State's remaining schedule includes Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan. All four have performed better statistically than USC at preventing explosive passing plays. Against the Trojans, Fahey directed most of his attempts to Smith toward short and intermediate areas, limiting the receiver's opportunities for the long catches that had helped define his season.

Meanwhile, Mensah completed 22 of 29 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns in Miami's shootout victory at North Carolina. Toney caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, including the score that sealed the result in the closing minutes. Mensah subsequently became FanDuel's Heisman favorite at +170, followed by Toney at +290 and Smith at +340.

Miami faces Notre Dame next week, giving its leading Heisman contenders another nationally televised opportunity ahead of the award ceremony in early December. Smith, meanwhile, heads into Ohio State's final four scheduled games after a defeat that raised questions about the Buckeyes' ability to sustain their downfield passing attack with Fahey.