Ohio State Buckeyes' Jeremiah Smith Makes Massive Michigan Promise

After putting the college football world on notice in 2024, Ohio State Buckeyes' phenom Jeremiah Smith has big aspirations for the rest of his time with the program.

Despite winning the National Championship last season, head coach Ryan Day and his squad were unable to beat the team's biggest rival in November, the Michigan Wolverines. The heartbreaking defeat would fuel Ohio State in the postseason, but Smith does not want history to repeat itself.

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Manny Navarro, Smith promised that he would not lose to Michigan again in the next two years.

“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith told The Athletic. “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.”

The Buckeyes have been on the losing side of "The Game", as Day and the program have lost the last four contest to the Wolverines. Last year, Ohio State suffered a brutal 13-10 loss in Columbus, with Smith being the only Buckeye to score a touchdown in the defensive-heavy matchup. The freshman would also finish with five catches for 35 yards.

This year, Ohio State must travel to Ann Arbor to take on their longtime rival. With quarterback Alex Orji transferring to the UNLV Rebels this offseason, head coach Sherrone Moore will likely roll out highly-touted freshman Bryce Underwood, who was the No. 1 player in the 2025 recruiting class.