Despite falling in a devastating 13-10 loss to Michigan in the 2024 season, rising sophomore receiver Jeremiah Smith made a promise to Ohio State fans that he wouldn’t lose to Michigan again.
Now, a 2026 Michigan cornerback commit is making the same promise to Wolverine fans.
“I will not lose to Ohio State while I’m there,” Dorian Barney, a former Alabama commit and Ohio State target, told On3’s Chad Simmons when he committed to Michigan on Saturday.
Whether that was in response to Smith’s comments to The Athletic the week before isn’t clear, but Smith didn’t hold back when talking about the rivalry.
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith said. “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.”
The Wolverines have turned the tides in The Game the last four years, winning four in a row after the game was canceled in 2020 due to a COVID outbreak on Michigan’s roster.
And despite the rivalry meaning less that it ever has when it comes to being able to compete for a national championship — evidenced by Ohio State’s title win last season — The Game still couldn’t mean more to the players and coaches in scarlet and gray and maize and blue. That was made clear after last season’s game when fights broke out after Michigan players attempted to plant a block ‘M’ flag at midfield after the stunning upset.
However, one of the promises that Smith or Barney made will be broken. Barney won’t be on the roster until the 2026 season, but the two will overlap that year and play against each other.
However, Smith will still have another chance before then to keep his promise, with this year’s version of The Game coming on Nov. 29 in the Big House.
