Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State Shares His Rivalry Passion Against Michigan
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith expresses his strong emotions regarding the rivalry with Michigan, vowing to never lose again after a prior defeat.
Ohio State superstar Jeremiah Smith is just one year into his college football career but is already deeply entrenched in the Buckeyes’ bitter rivalry with Michigan. When former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer asked him what first comes to mind when he hears the words “the team up north,” Smith did not hesitate: “Hate.”
Smith is 0-1 against the Wolverines in his young career after last season’s shocking loss put a blemish on an otherwise terrific year for the freshman wideout and his national championship-winning squad.
“Hate ’em,” Smith stated on “The Triple Option.” “With everything in me, I hate ’em.”
With one loss to Michigan on his ledger, Smith previously vowed this season to never lose another rivalry game as long as he is at Ohio State. In order to do so, he has to help the Buckeyes snap a four-game losing streak in the series that dates back to Ryan Day’s first full season at the helm.
The Wolverines fared quite well defensively against Smith in last year’s clash, holding him to just five catches and 35 yards. He did post a touchdown but had just the third-most yards in the Buckeyes’ receiving unit on the day, resulting in one of his quietest outings of the season.
Defeating Michigan is one of the few boxes Smith still has to check in what is on track to be an illustrious college football career. He has already achieved the biggest team accomplishment with a national title and established himself as arguably the best player in the nation ahead of his sophomore year. He is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this year and a near lock to eventually become the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Going winless against the Wolverines would be a blemish on any Buckeye’s résumé, though.
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith conveyed to The Athletic earlier this offseason. “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.”
