Grading Ohio State: Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate as the best Buckeye WR duo ever ... and then what?

Breaking down and grading two elite talents at the front of the receiver room and some questions about what's next

Carnell Tate in the Big Ten Championship Game after one of his nine touchdown catches this season. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State)

COLUMBUS — Ohio State receivers … kind of a thing.

You know the deal.

Let’s get to grading one of the best position groups in the nation as we move on to our sixth group of Buckeye grades.

What happened this year:

Jeremiah Smith is seventh in the nation and third among power conference receivers with 1,086 receiving yards. He’s the second Buckeye, joining Marvin Harrison Jr., with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

He’s averaging 90.5 yards per game after averaging 82.2 yards last season as a true freshman. Smith wasn’t pleased after he was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award but lost out to USC’s Makai Lemon. But he did beat out Lemon for the Big Ten receiver of the year award, which he also won a year ago.

He was also a unanimous first-team All-American.

So with defenses planning for him, and despite missing a game-and-a-half due to injury, Smith maintained his excellence and production from a year ago. The Buckeyes still prioritized him in the offense, as he has 98 targets in 12 games compared to 105 targets in 16 games last season.

Then there’s Carnell Tate, who at times looked ready to challenge Smith’s status as the best receiver in the country. Before an injury knocked him out for three games in November, Tate had the top PFF grade of any power conference receiver. He has 48 catches for 838 yards and remains the best deep-ball threat in the country. According to PFF, he has caught nine of 10 targets of 20 yards or more for 383 yards and five touchdowns.