Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith delivered a freshman season for the ages. He immediately emerged as the Buckeyes’ top offensive weapon and shattered both program and Big Ten receiving records for a true freshman while helping Ohio State to its first national championship in a decade.
The one thing he didn’t do, however, was beat Michigan. The Buckeyes entered their regular season finale against the Wolverines as a heavy favorite and walked out of Ohio Stadium with their fourth straight loss against their biggest rival.
If Smith has his way, that’s not going to happen again — at least while he’s on campus.
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith told The Athletic’s Manny Navarro at the OT7 Playoffs. “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 did his part in trying to avoid another loss to the Wolverines. He had five catches for 35 yards and hauled in Ohio State’s only offensive touchdown on the afternoon.
Still, Michigan leaned on its ground game — running back Kalel Mullings had 116 yards on 32 carries — while limiting the Buckeyes to their worst offensive showing all year to grind out a 13-10 victory. The loss cost Ohio State a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, though the Buckeyes were able to secure an at-large spot in the College Football Playoff.
There, they blitzed through Tennessee, Big Ten champion Oregon and Texas before downing Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
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