Podcast Summary:

The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk
Episode: Ohio State receiver grades: Are Jeremiah Smith & Carnell Tate the best OSU WR combo ever?
Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Doug Lesmerises & Bill Landis (Blue Wire)

Episode Overview

This episode is dedicated to a deep dive into the 2025 Ohio State wide receiver room, with special focus on whether the current duo of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate could be the greatest receiver tandem in OSU history. Doug and Bill analyze stats, historical comparisons, team usage patterns, and future outlooks for the Buckeye receiver corps, providing engaging and informed banter as they work through the question. They also grade the position group and discuss implications for the coming seasons.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Are Jeremiah Smith & Carnell Tate the Best OSU WR Duo Ever?

• Historical Comparisons:

  • Doug presents a list of legendary pairs, including Santonio Holmes/Ted Ginn Jr. (2005) and the 2021 group featuring JSN, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave.
  • Stats from previous combos are noted:
    • Holmes and Ginn Jr. (2005): 1,780 combined yards (old era, fewer games)
    • JSN/Wilson/Olave (2021): 2,664 yards for the top two
    • Marvin Harrison Jr. / Emeka Egbuka (2022): 2,414 yards

• Current Season Context:

  • Smith and Tate, despite missed games (Tate missed 3, Smith 1 + partial), have amassed 1,924 yards with potentially 3 games left.

• Outside Perspective:

  • Penn State interim coach Terry Smith declared them "the two best" he's ever seen after witnessing both go over 120 yards and score touchdowns in the same game ([06:00]).

    “These are the two best. Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith.”
    — Terry Smith (as recounted by Doug, [05:46])

• Hosts’ Verdict:

  • Bill: “If they're at their best and healthiest, I probably would take them. They're so big and so fast—outliers compared to the rest. I think I would take this tandem.” ([06:30])
  • Doug: “They’re both pure number one receivers who can do it all… I don’t think they get in each other’s way at all. I think they help each other.” ([09:07])

2. Stylistic Breakdown & Complementary Skills

• Both are physically dominant and excel at similar things but blend well together. Carnell is a bit more of a deep threat, Jeremiah developing as a “possession receiver.”

• Jeremiah Smith has 48 first downs; Carnell Tate has 33 (with fewer games).

• They don't cannibalize each other’s production; rather, they open up opportunities for one another.

  “The touchdown that Carnell scored [vs. Michigan] came in part because Jeremiah took some attention away from him.”
  — Bill Landis ([10:36])

3. Slot Receiver & Third Target Analysis

• Current Third Receiver:

  • Brandon Inniss averages 3 targets/game—lower than many previous years, signaling a heavier focus on the top two.
  • Historical context shows OSU has had years with similarly light third-receiver involvement, especially in 2020.

• Scheme and Personnel Usage:

  • More use of 12 personnel (2 TEs) may partially be due to lack of a dynamic slot threat.
  • Bill: "It is a bit of an issue that the offense doesn't have a little more pop out of the slot receiver position." ([16:00])

4. Scheme, Production, and Yards After Catch (YAC)

• OSU’s receivers have dropped very few passes this year (only four as a group on 896 routes), an elite number.

• YAC is surprisingly average for OSU (47th overall in FBS, 55th among WRs).

  • Doug and Bill question why the offense doesn't scheme more throws to receivers on the move over the middle, a past staple with Ryan Day.

  “They just have, like, at times it’s felt like maybe the degree of difficulty with some of the passing offense is a little higher than it needs to be…they get a little shot heavy sometimes.”
  — Bill Landis ([21:28])

5. Positional Depth & the “Room” Beyond the Top Two

• Depth is somewhat lacking; when forced to play backups (e.g., vs. Rutgers), the drop-off was obvious.

• Inniss has made big catches (notably against Michigan), but hosts note his impact is more intangible (leadership, reliability) than explosive.

• Substantial concern about lack of proven young playmakers poised for "next man up."

  “We've seen nothing from the rest of the room, which is kind of a bummer, and also potentially a fairly large issue.”
  — Bill Landis ([29:45])

6. Grading the Receiver Room (1–100 Scale)

• Substack Subscribers: 91
• Doug: 94
• Bill: 88

  • Doug justifies the high grade: “When they are healthy, we think they are the best receiver combo in Ohio State history…they are the engine of the offense when healthy and being used correctly.” ([30:01])

  • Bill dings for lack of depth: “I just don't know. If you ask Brian Hartline or Ryan Day, is this room up to the standard, you think they'd say yes?” ([34:22])

    “If you're top two…are both going to be top ten NFL draft picks…then they mostly throw to them…and [the coaches] have done a good job of using these guys.” — Doug Lesmerises ([30:25])

7. Future Outlook & The 'Zenith' Conversation

• Doug and Bill see this as possibly the highwater mark due to:

  • Jeremiah Smith being a “generational” talent.
  • Brian Hartline leaving as WR coach.

• They draw a parallel to Chase Young at DE: units can remain “great” after a true superstar departs, even if they’re never quite as transcendent again.

  “He's the zenith…How do you get better than Jeremiah Smith?…I just think it's real talk.”
  — Doug Lesmerises ([40:21])

• Portal & Next Pairings:

  • Odds of an elite transfer arriving are seen as "non-zero" but unlikely unless a truly special player wants in (e.g., Cam Coleman).

  • Chris Henry Jr. may have the inside track at pairing with Jeremiah Smith in 2026, with Doug and Bill both noting that OSU will remain a WR destination but won't easily replicate this level.

    “There’s always a final boss. Jeremiah truly is that…Will anybody ever quite hold a candle to that? Possibly not.”
    — Bill Landis ([37:04])

Notable Quotes & Time Stamps

• On historical greatness:

  “These are the two best. Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith.”
  — Penn State interim coach, as relayed by Doug ([05:46])

• On their complementary nature:

  “They don’t get in each other’s way at all. I think they help each other.”
  — Doug ([09:07])

• On slot/third WR issues:

  “It is a bit of an issue that the offense doesn’t have a little more pop out of the slot receiver position.”
  — Bill ([16:00])

• On YAC and scheme:

  “They just have, like, at times it’s felt like maybe the degree of difficulty with some of the passing offense is a little higher than it needs to be…they get a little shot heavy sometimes.”
  — Bill ([21:28])

• On positional depth:

  “We’ve seen nothing from the rest of the room...it's kind of a bummer, and also potentially a fairly large issue.”
  — Bill ([29:45])

• On historical context:

  “He is the zenith. How do you get better than Jeremiah Smith?…But I also just think it's real talk.”
  — Doug ([40:21])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Big Question Posed: [02:01–05:38]
• Statistical & Historical Comparison: [05:38–07:50]
• Physical/Stylistic Analysis of Tate & Smith: [07:08–09:07]
• Effects of Duo on Each Other: [09:07–10:36]
• Slot/3rd WR Target Distribution: [11:02–15:05]
• RPO/Slot/12 Personnel Usage: [15:05–17:13]
• Middle-of-the-Field Passing & YAC Stats: [17:57–22:55]
• Room Depth and Backup Performance: [22:55–27:49]
• Grading the WR Room: [27:49–34:13]
• Future Outlook & Hartline Departure Impact: [36:54–44:32]
• Potential Transfer Additions: [42:41–44:44]
• Jeremiah Smith/Chris Henry Jr. Dynamic: [45:09–45:52]

Episode Takeaways

• Smith & Tate are possibly the top WR duo in Ohio State history, with a rare combo of production and physical dominance.
• Receiver room depth and the relative absence of slot production lower the overall grade slightly, but the “ones” are so elite it doesn’t matter much in practice.
• YAC (yards after catch) numbers are surprisingly pedestrian for such a vaunted WR room, raising schematic questions about the offense's use of the middle of the field.
• This era—especially with Jeremiah Smith—may stand as the “zenith” for OSU WRs, with even future iterations struggling to match this level despite remaining well above national norms.
• The focus now is on enjoying a true ‘golden age’ of Buckeye receiver play and understanding that generational talents make for truly special moments—which, as the hosts say, may not come around again soon.

End of Summary