Don’t say Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith didn’t warn them.

The Buckeyes defeated Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday night in a surprisingly one-sided game in which their offensive talents were on full display. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard tore apart the Ducks’ defense all night long, teaming with Smith for 187 yards and two touchdowns, a single-game program record for freshman receivers.

However, before Ohio State’s dominant win, Smith made it clear to the Ducks how they should prepare on defense.

“I’m just laughing in my head. Why are you really playing man-to-man against us, or me, I should say?’ Smith told reporters earlier this week. “And if we see man (coverage) against one of our receivers, we’re going to take a shot down the field.

“So now I’m letting everyone know that if you play the man on Wednesday, we’ll give it a try.”

Like most years, the Buckeyes have a stacked wide receiver room with Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate, but it was Smith who impressed the most, helping Ohio State avenge a loss to Oregon in October and into the CFP -to advance to the semi-finals.

Ohio State will face playoff No. 5 seed Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.