Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

'Everyone else is fish food': Former Ohio State rival eats his words after dissing Buckeyes before National Championship

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ian Valentino | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 12:05 AM ET

Humble pie doesn't always get served to those wrong, but credit is due to those who own it when they miss. Prior to the Ohio State Buckeyes' National Championship win against Notre Dame, one of the surprising trash talkers was former Irish quarterback Malik Zaire.

Zaire said Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was the program's "worst QB in 15 years" and said Kyle McCord was a better player for the Buckeyes. Ohio State fans, of course, laughed at this notion, and the troll was viewed as just trash talk. Howard was fantastic for Ohio State, even if McCord found success at Syracuse.

Finally, this week, Zaire walked back his ridiculous claims and praised Ohio State's standing as a recession-proof program.

"Realistically, the ONLY program in CFB we can’t talk that talk with is Ohio State….for now…. Everyone else is fish food from a program persepctive," Zaire tweeted.

Realistically, the ONLY program in CFB we can’t talk that talk with is Ohio State….for now…. Everyone else is fish food from a program persepctive.
— Malik Zaire (@MalikZaire8) July 9, 2025

Howard set a school record by completing 73% of his passes, and also led the Big Ten in yards and touchdowns. He also made the key plays whenever the Buckeyes needed it, only falling short in his bid to beat Michigan. His one-year resume was incredible.

Zaire was surely trying to stir the pot in January, but it's good he recognized the Buckeyes' dominant run under Ryan Day. Winning 70 of 80 games in seven years, the Buckeyes have never posted a win rate under 84.6% in a single season since 2018.

The lone wart on Day's resume has been the fact he's lost four-straight games to Michigan. Otherwise, he's a missed field goal against Georgia away from winning a second National Championship, and his Covid-ridden Buckeyes had the chance to earn another in 2020.

Zaire is a stranger messenger for this controversy, though. He barely had a collegiate career, but diehards remember his struggles over three seasons at Notre Dame and one at Florida.

With only 154 attempts, completing 58.4% for 1,165 yards, six touchdowns and one pick, Zaire was just a blip on the radar for a second.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: