After a stretch that saw them lose 15 of 16 games against their archrival from 2004-2019, the Michigan Wolverines have won four in a row against the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, one Buckeye star believes that trend will change this year.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith explained to THE ATHLETIC's Manny Navarro just how much his team's 13-10 loss to the Wolverines last season took a toll on him, despite the team going on to win the National Championship to end his freshman year.
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith said. “In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs. But I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.”
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Smith presumably has just two seasons left in college. He will be draft eligible in 2027, and with the production he showed as a freshman (76 catches, 1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns), it is all but assumed he will declare for the NFL as soon as he can.
Until then, he is bound and determined to beat the Wolverines every chance he gets. He left no doubt about his resentment towards the team in Maize and Blue, referring to them as "that team up north" and describing how much he hates them.
The feeling is undoubtedly mutual, and Michigan will be ready to defend their winning streak next season in Ann Arbor.
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