The Oregon Ducks don’t need bulletin board material to get motivation for Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. But Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith just provided the Ducks some.
“So I’m just letting everybody know right now that if you play man (coverage) Wednesday, we’re taking a shot,” Smith said.
No doubt head coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi’s eyes perked up after hearing Smith say this at the press conference on Monday. If you have been paying attention to the Ducks this season or even last season, Lanning doesn’t need help from the opposition to fire up his football team.
Smith and the Buckeyes do have a lot of confidence, however, after defeating Tennessee 42-17 in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Volunteers did play mostly man coverage in their secondary and got burned. Smith had six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns, while Emeka Egbuka had five more receptions for 81 yards.
Odds are the Ducks aren’t going to change up their gameplan just because of what Smith said. Oregon usually mixes up the defensive coverage throughout every game, including man coverage. Oregon also features one of the best cornerbacks in the nation in Jabbar Muhammad.
Look for a conversation between those two players throughout the game Wednesday. It might be as entertaining as the game itself, which promises to be one of the best ones of this college football season.
