Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Miami's Malachi Toney already producing Heisman-caliber performances
- Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith caught 8 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half as No. 1 Ohio State defeated Ball State 56-3 on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
- Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney scored 3 touchdowns and set a school single-game receiving record with 234 yards in the seventh-ranked Hurricanes' 45-6 victory over Stanford on Friday, September 4, 2026.
- Both players were first-team selections on the AP's preseason All-America team this summer and faced each other in last year's College Football Playoff, where Toney's Miami won 24-14.
- Smith and Toney were both first-team and second-team All-America selections respectively on last year's AP All-America team.
- Indiana's defending national champions opened their title defense with a 52-16 victory over North Texas, with former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover going 13 of 16 for 231 yards with 4 touchdowns in his first game.
Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Miami's Malachi Toney have launched their respective Heisman Trophy campaigns with dominant opening-week performances. Smith caught 8 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half alone as No. 1 Ohio State routed Ball State 56-3 on Saturday, while Toney scored 3 touchdowns and set a school single-game receiving record with 234 yards in seventh-ranked Miami's 45-6 victory over Stanford on Friday.
Both players were first-team selections on the AP's preseason All-America team this summer and have established themselves among the top players in college football. They previously faced each other in last year's College Football Playoff quarterfinal, where Toney's Hurricanes defeated Smith's Buckeyes 24-14, though Smith recorded superior individual statistics with 7 receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown.
Given the dominant performances by both Ohio State and Miami in their respective openers, another playoff matchup between the two teams appears possible this season. Both receivers have positioned themselves as early contenders for the Heisman Trophy, with the possibility of meeting at the Heisman ceremony in New York before any potential playoff rematch.
俄亥俄州立大学杰利迈亚·史密斯和迈阿密马拉基·托尼已展现海斯曼奖级别表现
俄亥俄州立大学的杰利迈亚·史密斯和迈阿密的马拉基·托尼在赛季首周以绝对优势的表现启动了各自的海斯曼奖竞选。史密斯在周六的比赛中仅上半场就完成8次接球151码和2次达阵,帮助排名第一的俄亥俄州立大学以56-3大胜鲍尔州立大学,而托尼则在周五的比赛中打入3个达阵,单场接球码数创迈阿密校纪录的234码,帮助排名第七的飓风队以45-6击败斯坦福大学。
两名球员都是今年夏季美联社预赛全美队的一阵选手,已确立自己在大学橄榄球顶级球员中的地位。他们曾在去年大学橄榄球季后赛四分之一决赛中交过手,当时托尼所在的飓风队以24-14击败史密斯所在的七叶树队,尽管史密斯个人数据更出色,完成7次接球157码和1次达阵。
鉴于俄亥俄州立大学和迈阿密在各自赛季首战中的绝对优势表现,两队在本赛季季后赛中再次交手似乎成为可能。两名外接手已将自己定位为海斯曼奖的早期竞争者,有可能在任何潜在的季后赛复赛之前就在纽约的海斯曼颁奖典礼上相遇。