In an incredible freshman season, Ohio State star receiver and former No. 1 overall recruit Jeremiah Smith somehow surpassed the immense expectations onlookers had for him. Not only did Smith break all of Cris Carter’s freshman receiving records at Ohio State, going for 76 catches, 1,315 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns, but he also led the Buckeyes to their first national championship since 2014.
Despite all of those accomplishments, Smith and the rest of his teammates failed to beat Michigan. Instead, Ohio State suffered a shocking 13-10 loss as a nearly 20-point favorite.
According to Smith, while he is on the team, the Buckeyes will not lose to Michigan again.
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith told The Athletic. “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.”
Although Smith had a decent outing, going for five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown in his first edition of The Game, a couple of late-red zone blunders, including an interception thrown by Will Howard and a missed field goal by Jayden Fielding, ultimately doomed the Buckeyes.
Fueled by new additions like five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the Wolverines project to improve in 2025. With The Game being played at Michigan this year, Smith and the Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them if they want to end their four-game losing streak over their hated rival.
