The Ohio State Buckeyes are one win away from playing for their ninth national championship, thanks in part to the brightest star in college football.

Why it matters: Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith is shattering records, electrifying pro scouts and turning the Buckeyes into national title favorites ahead of their semifinal matchup against Texas tomorrow night.

Catch up quick: Ohio State entered the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff as the No. 8 seed with middle-of-the-pack title odds.

• The Buckeyes made surprisingly easy work of their first two opponents, sprinting to huge early leads in a 42-17 win over Tennessee in Columbus and a 41-21 domination of Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

🐮 Now they face a talented Texas team in the Cotton Bowl, to be played in the Longhorns' backyard of Arlington (unless Texas can't handle a little sleet).

Flashback: In an embarrassing loss to Michigan, Smith had five receptions and a touchdown but managed just 35 yards, infuriating Buckeye diehards.

• But he's exploded in the playoffs, racking up 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns while looking like a man against boys.

Good news, fans: Unless he decides to sit out, Smith will stay in Columbus for at least two more seasons.

By the numbers: He is already the presumed first pick in the 2027 NFL Draft (his first chance to go pro) and has rewritten the Ohio State freshman record book:

• Most receptions: 70
• Most receiving yards: 1,224
• Most receiving touchdowns: 14
• Most receiving yards in a game: 187
• Most 100-yard receiving games: 5

Follow the money: Smith isn't cheap. His $2.4 million in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and roster value is the sixth-most-valuable in college football, and he has endorsement deals with Red Bull, Designer Shoe Warehouse and Chipotle.

💭 My thought bubble: Smith plays a higher-profile position and has more opportunities for flashy plays, but sophomore phenom Caleb Downs has been just as incredible on defense (and is nearly as expensive) and deserves a lot of hype.

Between the lines: OSU's two playoff wins were shocking not just because of their scope, but because they came just a few weeks after many fans called for head coach Ryan Day's firing over the rivalry game defeat.

• Day's 1-4 record against OSU's biggest rival even had Dispatch columnist Rob Oller publicly contemplating his ouster.
• Fan complaints have quieted … for now.

What's next: With a win, the Buckeyes would reach the Jan. 20 title game in Atlanta and face the winner of tonight's Notre Dame-Penn State semifinal.

Columbus' 2024 homicide count was its lowest since before COVID-19, according to police data provided to Axios.

The big picture: The decline mirrors a nationwide drop in big cities following a pandemic-era surge. It's not exactly clear why it's occurring.

• Local and federal officials credit their initiatives aimed at fighting and solving crimes, and crime analysts note broader social and psychological factors are also likely at play.

Yes, but: The 124 local homicides in 2024 are still slightly elevated when compared to data from 2013-2019.

Between the lines: Last month, the Columbus Division of Police announced it had inaccurately reported over a decade's worth of crime statistics to the state and FBI.

• It has since fixed the mistake, and internal data like these homicide figures have remained accurate, officials said.

⛪ Memorial and funeral services start today for the Rev. Jeffrey P. Kee, a local social justice advocate and longtime senior pastor at New Faith Baptist Church who died Dec. 27. (Dispatch)

🚗 Seven Easton parking lots now require $1 per hour fees through the ParkMobile App. (Columbus Underground)

Police are investigating if a neighbor's pig is responsible for the death of a 75-year-old Pataskala woman on Christmas. An official autopsy report is expected in the next six weeks. (WBNS-TV)

💰 Lifewise Academy brought in $35 million in 2024, more than doubling its 2023 revenue, as the Hilliard-based Christian program's presence in schools grew nationwide. (WCMH-TV)

🎨 Open Door, a local nonprofit with a Grandview Heights art studio, helps over 100 adults with developmental disabilities express their creativity. (Spectrum News 1)

Our Franklin County Historical Marker tour heads back to Plain Township, right next to the Abercrombie & Fitch headquarters.

The marker: Archibald's Mill at 6000 Kitzmiller Road, New Albany.

Flashback: The mill's namesake, Archibald Smith, was a New Jersey native who moved to Ohio as a teenager.

• He quickly taught himself carpentry, later supervising construction of locks and bridges along the Ohio and Erie Canal.
• Smith built the area's first water-powered sawmill in 1833 and several other mills followed.
• They fell out of use a few decades later, around the time when log dwellings were replaced by more modern frame homes.

Yes, but: Smith's legacy is felt nearly two centuries later.

• A nearby house he built still stands and some of his early surveying work of New Albany and Gahanna is used even now, per the marker.

5️⃣3️⃣ down, 78 to go.

👋 Alissa here, with our first photo quiz of 2025. Do you know where I visited for a nice cold stroll this week?

A hint:

• This park near Groveport is a must-see,
• If you seek pictures of snow on tall trees.

📬 Reply to this newsletter with the correct answer for a chance to win free Axios swag!

• Check back tomorrow to see if your guess was right.