They say that The Game is a rivalry that features mutual respect that goes both ways, but that’s not always the case. Michigan used to ‘respect’ The Game’ by treating it, essentially, like every other on the schedule, which didn’t exactly pay off with losses mounting and mounting. Now, the Wolverines prepare for Ohio State all year long.
Ohio State once had a similar ideal, yet, as the losing streak in Columbus grows, so does the hubris.
Speaking on his podcast, OSU safety Caleb Downs said all of the right things, however, noting the challenges that the Wolverines pose for the Buckeye offense.
“I mean, it’s Michigan,” Downs said. “They run the ball. They got a good quarterback this year. So that’ll be a challenge. He has the ability to run and throw. So they got a good scheme. They’re a good football team.”
Then there’s Jeremiah Smith, the standout wide receiver.
On the same podcast, Smith was asked about the No. 17-ranked Michigan defense, and while he started to give credit where it was due before ultimately giving something of a slight.
“They fly to the ball,” Smith said. “I mean, gee, everybody making plays out there. But nothing really stands out to me personally.”
Nothing really stands out, apparently.
It’s unsurprising coming from Smith, who spoke to The Athletic over the summer and guaranteed that OSU wouldn’t lose to Michigan the next two iterations of The Game.
“I just hate them,” Smith said. “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.”
Likewise, OSU head coach Ryan Day has been speaking lately as if he’s the one on a four-game winning streak, rather than a four-game losing streak. At his weekly press conference, Day was asked what the week is like, and he made it sound like a Buckeye win is a forgone conclusion.
“Fun is kicking (expletive deleted). And that’s what we want to do on Saturday,” Day said. “So we’re preparing to do that. And that’s it. Like, there’s nothing funny about this at all. But the fun part is winning. So we’ll save the fun for being in the locker room and celebrating after the game.”
Day also famously declared to his team behind the scenes back in 2020 that they’d ‘hang 100’ on the Wolverines. Michigan has won every game since he made that comment.
So, whether it’s Smith or Day, at this point, it doesn’t appear that Ohio State has learned its lesson. Of course, OSU could win the game, and both will feel vindicated, or things could continue as they have, where a seemingly overmatched Michigan ends up celebrating while the Buckeyes search for answers for another year.
We’ll know which outcome it is on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Hubris on display: OSU players, coaches act like a win is obvious
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
