Discussing former Michigan rival, J.J. McCarthy can’t resist Ohio State dig

Jackson was the Vikings' first-round pick in this year's draft. He was the final piece in Minnesota's revamped offensive line meant to protect McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season with a meniscus injury. While both are now teammates in the NFL, it's no shock that school spirit still runs strong in them.

Over the past several seasons, the matchups between Michigan and Ohio State, simply known as "The Game," have become incredibly important for College Fooball Playoff seeding, as well as deciding which school typically goes on to the Big Ten Championship.

During his tenure at Michigan, McCarthy never lost to Ohio State. In three games, with two as the starter, McCarthy was 29-of-45 for 442 yards and four touchdowns while throwing no interceptions against the Buckeyes. He also had one rushing touchdown.

McCarthy helped Michigan win the national championship in 2023 before leaving for the draft.

Jackson played for Ohio State from 2021 to 2024 and never beat Michigan. He was, however, instrumental in their run to the national championship this past season.

For McCarthy, that rivalry runs a bit deeper than on-field opponents. Coming out of high school as one of the most heavily recruited QBs in the nation, McCarthy had his pick of colleges to attend, including both Michigan and Ohio State. That is until Urban Meyer retired following the 2018 season and Ryan Day took over the program.

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"Urban Meyer left, and he was the guy recruiting me. After he left, it was coach Day's show. Coach Day wanted to go a different route at the quarterback position for the 2021 class," McCarthy told the Rich Eisen Show in 2023. "I respect him for his decision, but that was something that jumpstarted a little fire in me. You really think you know it all, and you think you know what's best for you, but God knows what's best for you, and he's going to put you in the right situation. I came here a week and a half later, and Coach Harbaugh showed nothing but love. It was an instantaneous family feel where you felt comfortable right away. That's hard to feel at a lot of places when you're on these college visits because a lot of it's [disingenuious] and there's a lot of shiny glitz and glamor."

McCarthy admitted he was a Braxton Miller (Ohio State QB from 2011-2015) fan while growing up, but felt Michigan was "the place to be" during his recruiting trips. McCarthy said beating Ohio State was something he was "dreaming of" his "entire life."

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