The Michigan–Ohio State game is still two weeks away but the hype surrounding the matchup is palpable. This week on his Let’s Go Podcast, former Wolverines quarterback Tom Brady hosted Buckeyes first-round draft pick C.J. Stroud, posing to the rookie a very high-stakes bet on their alma maters.
Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, bet one of his many championship rings on the Wolverines taking down No. 2 Ohio State – even without head coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines.
“Alright so, we got a bet,” Brady said. “So, if Ohio State wins . . . you get one of my Super Bowl rings. And if Michigan beats Ohio State, then you got to give me all your youth, your agility, your time in the 40 and all your future years in the NFL. How about that?”
“That’s a bet,” Stroud said.
The former Patriots star noted that he’s never bet one of his Super Bowl rings before, which suggests he feels very strongly about his Wolverines. With two weeks to go before the big game, the Wolverines are 5.5-point favorites in Vegas, according to FanDuel.
Before the two undefeated teams meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan will face 6-4 Maryland in the penultimate weekend of the regular season, while the Buckeyes take on 5-5 Minnesota.
Stroud hits O-H celebration for Ohio State
The Houston Texans’ (5-4) 30-27 Week 10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) Sunday marked the first time CJ Stroud played a football game in the state of Ohio since Aug. 26, 2022.
The former Ohio State standout capped off his return to the Buckeye State by leading the Texans on a six-play, 55-yard game-winning drive in the final 1:33 of the game. But before Stroud got around to guiding Houston to another game-winning drive for the second straight week, the 22-year-old was busy pulling off the celebration of the week earlier in the fourth quarter.
Stroud flashed the “O-H” symbol for Ohio after finding his way into the end zone on an 8-yard run.
Stroud’s performance certainly was reminiscent of his time at Ohio State — a fruitful two seasons which made him the No. 2 overall selection in this past April’s NFL Draft. Stroud completed 23-of-39 passes for 356 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
His dazzling showing came one week removed from a historic performance in the 39-37 Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5), in which he became just the sixth player in NFL history to throw for at least 450 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions, joining a list which includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this report.
More must-reads: