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Paul Finebaum Gets Real About Jeremiah Smith’s Fiery Jab at Michigan

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 1:05 PM ET

Earlier this week, Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was interviewed by the Athletic, and most of the conversation focused on his freshman year, the challenges, exceeding expectations and the Buckeyes' national championship run.

However, the portion of the interview that garnered the most attention was when Smith took shots at Ohio State's rival, the Michigan Wolverines.

The 19-year-old pass-catcher didn't mince words when saying he hated the Wolverines. After losing to Michigan 13-10 last year, which made it a four-game losing streak for the Buckeyes against their rival, Smith promised Ohio State would not lose to them over his next two years in college.

Never one to let sleeping dogs lie, ESPN firebrand Paul Finebaum encouraged Smith's intensity during a college football segment in the latest episode of "Get Up."

“I'm glad to see somebody on the Ohio State lineup maybe do something more than just mouthing words, because Jeremiah sounds serious," said Finebaum. "[Head coach] Ryan Day has promised, after every loss, not to lose again, and he continues to lose again."

Since becoming the full-time head coach of the Buckeyes in 2019, Day has only beaten the Wolverines once and carries a 1-4 record against Michigan.

"They are the defending national champion," Finebaum continued. "So even clowns like me on the 4th of July are not going to call for a firing of a coach because he loses one game. But that is a game [Day] has to deal with at some point. But that national championship game will pay a lot of bills. Probably. Yes, including another [hypothetical] loss to Michigan.”

Smith's comments about Michigan ruffled the feathers of several people, including host and broadcaster Rich Eisen, a Michigan alumnus. He "noted" several of the top receivers from Ohio State over the years, like Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, all lost to Michigan as well.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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