Ryan Day reacts to Jeremiah Smith’s commitment to avenge Michigan loss

Freshman phenom wide receiver ever Jeremiah Smith had a borderline perfect first season at Ohio State. The Hollywood, FL native 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. 

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.”

Ryan Day responds to Smith’s comments

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day responded to Smith’s comments at this week’s Big Ten Media Days event.

“He’s very, very competitive and he’s not used to losing,” Day said. “We lost the first game against Oregon and he was angry. He wasn’t the only one and certainly for him he expects to win every single game. He expects to win every drill he’s in. That’s just the way he’s wired. So, when you ask a question, you’re going to get a genuine response from Jeremiah. And I think the guy’s feed off of that, and when he tells you something you believe it.”

“There’s no reading between the lines with him. He may not be a man of many words, but when he talks you listen and we’re all listening. He’s the ultimate competitor.”

Michigan has won four consecutive games over the Buckeyes dating back to 2021. Its four-game winning streak against Ohio State is its longest in the rivalry since it won four in a row from 1988-1991. Smith, who recorded just 35-yards receiving in the loss, will look to make a bigger impact on this year’s edition of “The Game.”

This year’s edition of “The Game” takes place on November 29 in Ann Arbor.

On3’s Steven Samra contributed to this article.