Officials ruled Jeremiah Smith scored a touchdown against Michigan, but replays show a possible bobble.,The call was upheld after review, but debate continues on whether it should have been a touchback.Officials ruled on the field that Jeremiah Smith scored a fourth-down touchdown against Michigan, and the call was upheld after a replay review. The question remains whether Smith bobbled the ball before crossing the goal line.
Smith put the Buckeyes up 10-6 in the second quarter with a 35-yard touchdown catch on fourth down. However, replays suggest Smith may have bobbled the ball as he entered the end zone, leading to questions about whether it should have been ruled a touchback.
The touchdown was initially called a score on the field and remained so after a slow-motion replay review. Had the bobble been recognized in real-time and called a touchback, that ruling might have been upheld. Smith appeared to lose possession just as he crossed the goal line, with his left foot stepping out of bounds in the end zone after he regained control.
However, there is also an argument that Smith had the ball pinned to his chest while crossing the goal line. This, combined with the lack of a definitive replay angle from the pylon cam which did not show Smith’s entire body, likely contributed to the officials sticking with the original call on the field.
Ultimately, Ohio State defeated Michigan 27-9. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin threw for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns, while the Buckeyes also gained 186 rushing yards. Michigan’s offense was limited to 163 total yards against the Ohio State defense, ending Michigan’s four-game winning streak in “The Game.”
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