Jeremiah Smith vows to never lose to Michigan for rest of Ohio State career

Jeremiah Smith had a borderline perfect first season at Ohio State. The wide receiver bursted onto the scene, catching 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns during the Buckeyes’ national championship run.

He dazzled in every way possible, but there was one major blemish on his team’s season as a whole. Ohio State once again fell to Michigan, suffering a highly-publicized and scrutinized 13-10 loss to the Wolverines on Nov. 30.

Smith caught a touchdown in that game, part of a five catch, 35-yard performance. That was far below the standard he’s set for himself though, and the one he’ll be trying to reach in his sophomore season.

After all the success he’s enjoyed thus far in Columbus, the loss to Michigan still sticks in his craw. Ahead of the 2025 season, Smith spoke with Manny Navarro of The Athletic, where he vowed to never lose to the Wolverines again, as long as the wide receiver is suiting up for the Buckeyes.

“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith said, via 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.”

As you can see, a national title doesn’t heal all wounds, not when the hatred is so strong between Ohio State and Michigan. Smith isn’t afraid of the challenge, and he’ll be looking to take his game to the next level in 2025, and that includes beating the Wolverines.

Regardless, the Buckeyes star is entering the season as one of the sport’s top players, and many theorized he would’ve been a first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, if he was eligible. He still has a couple more seasons of college football left to play though, and the sky is the limit for him. He’s not taking anything for granted.

“I still have a lot of work to do,” Smith added. “I’ve got two, three more years left of college. I’ve still got to go to the pros — hopefully by the grace of God. I’ve just got to keep it going.

“Just because I had one great year, I can’t get comfortable and depend on that. I want to do this year in and year out. … I’m just trying to win another natty — that’s what I’m focused on. All the other individual accolades will come after that.”

It’ll be awesome to see how high Jeremiah Smith can fly in 2025. It all begins with a College Football Playoff rematch against Texas on Aug. 30, but that Michigan game on Nov. 29 is circled, for sure.