Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Michigan won 13-10.

‘I Just Hate Them’: Ohio State WR Vows He Will Not Lose Again To Michigan

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 2:36 PM ET

Despite winning the national championship in Janitorial, the Ohio State college football program appears to still have bitter feelings about their 13-10 loss to Michigan in November at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes’ last win over the Wolverines came in a 56-27 blowout win in 2019.

OSU head coach Ryan Day is 1-4 against UM. Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is 0-1 against the Wolverines.

Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith makes a promise

During an interview with Manny Navarro of The Athletic, Smith told Navarro that he hates Michigan and promised he would not lose another game to his hated rival.

“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.”

Smith scored a touchdown against Michigan

Smith recorded five catches for 35 yards and scored the only touchdown in the Buckeyes’ loss to UM last year. He finished the season with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, including a touchdown in OSU’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the national championship.

Smith and the Buckeyes have a big game coming up to kickoff the season. They’ll have Arch Manning and Texas on Aug. 31. Smith will have a chance to help OSU’s chances of making the College Football Playoff when they finish their regular season against Michigan on Nov. 29 at Michigan Stadium.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) scores a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: