Curt Cignetti Praises Jeremiah Smith Ahead of Indiana vs Ohio State Indiana coach Curt Cignetti called Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith a freak with no one like him, ahead of Saturday's Big Ten showdown between the No. 5 Hoosiers and No. 4 Buckeyes. Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti had strong praise for Ohio State Buckeyes superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith ahead of Saturday's Big Ten showdown. Cignetti called Smith a freak and said there is no one like him right now playing at this level. He's taken it up a notch, without question. I think he has nine touchdown catches in the last three Power Four conference games. There's no one like him right now playing at this level, Cignetti said at a press conference Monday. He's a freak, and we're going to have to do a great job on him.Indiana Faces Ohio State SaturdayNo. 5 Indiana (6-0) hosts No. 4 Ohio State (5-1) on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on FOX. FOX's Big Noon Kickoff will be on site in Bloomington for the Big Ten matchup. Last year, Indiana defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship en route to winning its first national championship in program history.The Hoosiers are coming off a Week 6 scare on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, rallying from down 11 points in the fourth quarter to escape with a 20-17 victory. Smith, who already stood out across his freshman and sophomore seasons, has taken his game to another level this season for Ohio State. He is the Buckeyes' all-time leader in receptions (211), receiving yards (3,474) and receiving touchdowns (38).Smith Records Lead Big TenPrior to Ohio State's Week 6 win against the Maryland Terrapins, Smith combined for 23 receptions for 423 yards and six touchdowns in wins over the Iowa Hawkeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini. In all, Smith has logged 48 receptions for 916 yards (19.1 yards per reception) and 11 touchdowns across Ohio State's six games this season. Those numbers all lead the Big Ten and are each second in the nation.In 2025, Smith led the Big Ten with both 87 receptions and 1,243 receiving yards, while leading the conference with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. FOX Sports' Joel Klatt recently praised Smith as well, adding to the growing list of admirers. The looming heavyweight battle features an Ohio State offense that is first in the Big Ten in total yards (503.5 per game) and points (42.7 per game).Indiana Defense Ranks Top ConferenceThat Buckeyes attack goes up against an Indiana defense that has given up the fewest points in the conference (11.8 per game) and is third in opponent total yards (263.5 per game). Meanwhile, Indiana's offense is second in the Big Ten in total yards (462.7 per game) and third in points (40.2 per game).The Hoosiers will face an Ohio State defense that is second in the conference in both opponent total yards (246.8 per game) and opponent points (13.2 per game). The matchup carries major Big Ten and national implications. Cignetti's comments reflect the respect Smith has commanded from opposing coaches. Indiana enters with a 22-game winning streak and will need a strong plan to contain the Buckeyes' star receiver on Saturday.