Ohio State’s offense came to play on Saturday at the Big House, facing off against arch rival Michigan in their biggest game of the year.
Leading the way for the Buckeyes was the trio of quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, with both receivers making their return to the field after missing last week’s game due to injury.
Smith, who entered the year as a Heisman candidate and remains one of the top weapons in the country, was able to strike early and extend Ohio State’s lead. Facing fourth-and-5 inside Michigan territory, Sayin found Smith down the sideline for a score.
SAYIN TO JEREMIAH SMITH FOR THE TOUCHDOWN@OhioStateFB takes the lead 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RG18zeI9uq
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 29, 2025
At least, it looked like a touchdown. You would struggle to find any football fan in the world who viewed the play from that angle and came to the conclusion that that was not a touchdown. But as the play was reviewed, it became clear that the ball took a slight bobble in Smith’s arms before he crossed the goal line, and then stepped out of bounds in the end zone.
After review, the TD by Jeremiah Smith was confirmed 🎥
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 29, 2025
Do you agree with the call? pic.twitter.com/zv4pH1sV72
This is one of those replays that makes you questions the utility of replay itself. Of course, replay is a great tool for making sure officials “make the right call.” At the same time, if you look at this play and think “You know what, that’s not a touchdown that’s actually a fumble out of the end zone that should result in a touchback and change of possession,” you would both be making the right call, and sound a little ridiculous.
This puts referees in a tough spot, because we all got to see the replay and we all know the rule. Ultimately, Smith’s touchdown remained a touchdown, and while the result feels just to the spirit to the game (and The Game), at least to your humble blogger here, it also understandably left many fans confused.
Opinions ranged wildly.
CLEAR touchback. Ball was still loose when Smith crossed the goal line pic.twitter.com/C8JYwdxkdP
— Undaunted (@NvictusManeo) November 29, 2025
If 1,000 people saw this play in real time, 1,000 people would decide it was a touchdown. It's good that it stayed that way, even if it may have been a touchback after microscopic review.
— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) November 29, 2025
If we’re calling this a touchdown then idk what our sport has come to. Jeremiah Smith is coughing the ball up yards before the end zone😂
— Burch (@braden_burcham_) November 29, 2025
pic.twitter.com/CBEyFL8fzC
Here are the applicable definitions of player possession and fumble which apply here.
— Terry McAulay (@tjmcaulay) November 29, 2025
A strict reading makes this play a fumble, due to the loss of control, and requiring the player to regain possession by reestablishing control, getting a foot down inbounds, and having the… https://t.co/blsOd5DCXc pic.twitter.com/4VQlnwPX7O
Terrible call… Love or hate the rule, but that should 100% be a touchback. WR lost possession of the ball before scoring, ball went through/into end-zone, and then player was out of bounds when he regained possession.
— Todd Capen (@ToddCapen7) November 29, 2025
P.S. I don’t have a dog in the fight https://t.co/JnceLLPb8Y
The ball can move and still be in control. Only thing that matters is if he has control on the goal line, not that he bobbles after crossing it. Cannot reverse that, not a touchback. I will not be accepting @‘s at this time. https://t.co/RCakIT1lDP
— trea turner is a playoff choker (@SoundFlyer14) November 29, 2025
if it’s my team … i say it’s clearly a TD.. if it’s the team my team is playing .. that’s clearly a fumble for a touchback 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/WfxteqDJ7M
— GO NOLES (@GoNoles4L) November 29, 2025
Hate Ohio State. But in any world that this isn’t ruled a touchdown we should just delete the sport and start over. https://t.co/6Y3cWfaRsv
— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) November 29, 2025
Again, I tend to agree with the touchdown side of the debate. Even if slowing it down and looking at every inch and then lining up that play with the rulebook shows that a touchback would have been the “correct” call, that’s simply not a football world I want to live in.
Football is a complicated sport, and becomes even more complicated when a player appears to possibly lose possession while crossing the goal line. Hopefully the game ends in a score differential great enough to ensure that this one touchdown didn’t ultimately decide the outcome.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith’s Controversial Bobbled TD Catch Has Fans Asking Questions.
