Ohio State superstar Jeremiah Smith is just one year into his college football career but is already deeply entrenched in the Buckeyes’ bitter rivalry with Michigan. When former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer asked him what first comes to mind when he hears the words “the team up north,” Smith did not hesitate: “Hate.”
Smith is 0-1 against the Wolverines in his young career after last season’s shocking loss put a blemish on an otherwise terrific year for the freshman wideout and his national championship-winning squad.
“Hate ’em,” Smith said on “The Triple Option.” “With everything in me, I hate ’em.”
With one loss to Michigan on his ledger, Smith promised earlier this season never to lose another rivalry game as long as he is at Ohio State. In order to do so, he has to help the Buckeyes snap a four-game losing streak in the series that dates back to Ryan Day’s first full season at the helm.
“I hate ’em,” Smith said. “Where did I learn that? High school recruiting. First came in, I made a mistake. I was wearing dark blue. Coach [Brian] Hartline and Coach Keenan Bailey were like, ‘You can’t wear them colors here.’ And from that day forward, I was like, OK, it’s real.”
The Wolverines fared quite well defensively against Smith in last year’s clash, holding him to just five catches and 35 yards. While he did post a touchdown, he had just the third-most yards in the Buckeyes’ receiving unit on the day and sputtered through what ended up being one of his quietest outings of the season. Only twice did Smith post fewer than 35 yards in a game.
Defeating Michigan is one of the few boxes Smith still has to check in what is on track to be an illustrious college football career. He already notched the biggest team accomplishment with a national title and cemented himself as arguably the best player in the nation ahead of his sophomore year. He is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this year and a near lock to eventually become the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Going winless against the Wolverines would be a blemish on any Buckeye’s résumé, though.
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith said to The Athletic earlier this offseason. “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.”
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