Jeremiah Smith on Michigan: ‘With everything in me, I hate them’

Jeremiah Smith might have accomplished just about everything a true freshman possibly could in college football last season.

The wide receiver phenom from South Florida broke all kinds of Big Ten records. He tore the conference apart on a weekly basis. He helped Ohio State get to the College Football Playoff, and then Smith really took off in the Playoff while powering the Buckeyes to a national championship.

So, what possibly could the now sophomore sensation be so fired up about entering the 2025 season?

Well, that little problem in that he lost to Michigan. And he and his Buckeyes lost at home to Michigan, which just happened to be unranked coming into the annual bitter showdown in late November. Ohio State was listless in the loss, and though it ultimately set the stage for the Buckeyes’ epic national title run, it didn’t change the fact that Ohio State still lost to Michigan — again.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is now 1-4 against The Team Up North. For Smith, it’s a smaller sample size, and it reads: 0-1. If Smith didn’t like Michigan going into his freshman season, just imagine what he thinks of the Wolverines now.

“Hate. You know. With everything in me, I hate them,” Smith said on The Triple Option weekly podcast with Rob Stone, Mark Ingram and former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.

Smith will get a second crack at Michigan this fall, of course, and this time it will come in enemy territory in Ann Arbor on Nov. 29.

Take a wild guess whose birthday is Nov. 29? Yes, it’ll be Smith’s 20th birthday, and maybe that’ll make the stakes even higher for 1 of college football’s sensations. Smith won’t want his birthday spoiled. He’ll surely take delight in spoiling Michigan’s day though.

[H/T On3]