Did star Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith fumble before crossing the goal line on his second-quarter touchdown against Michigan on Saturday?
Smith put the Buckeyes up 10-6 in the second quarter with his fourth-down catch for a 35-yard score. But watch closely as he bobbled the ball as he got into the end zone. Was this actually a touchback?
Take a look in slow motion.
It’s important to note that Smith’s TD was immediately called a score on the field before it went to replay review. Officials kept the call on the field after taking that slow-motion look.
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Had the bobble been noticed in real time and been called a touchback on the field, we could see how that ruling would have been upheld too. Smith appeared to lose possession just as he crossed the goal line and his left foot stepped out of bounds in the end zone after he regained control.
However, there’s also a case to be made that he had the ball pinned to his chest while crossing the goal line. That, along with the lack of a definitive replay angle as the pylon cam doesn’t show Smith’s entire body, is likely why officials stuck with the call on the field.
Ultimately, the Buckeyes proved to be the better team. Ohio State’s offense got another touchdown late in the first half and dominated the second half in a 27-9 win. OSU quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 233 yards and 3 TDs (counting Smith’s score), and the Buckeyes added another 186 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Michigan’s offense could only muster 163 total yards against the vaunted OSU defense and the Buckeyes snapped the Wolverines’ four-game winning streak in “The Game.“