The Ohio State Buckeyes fell short of their big goal for the 2025 season: repeating as national champions. 

When you add in the Big Ten Championship loss to the Indiana Hoosiers, the only goal accomplished was beating the Michigan Wolverines. Ohio State ended its four-game losing streak against Michigan with a 27-9 win back in November. 

Jeremiah Smith opens up about giving Michigan fans the middle finger 

After The Game, Ohio State’s star wideout changed his X account’s profile picture to a photo of him giving the middle finger to Michigan fans. Smith had one touchdown against Michigan on Nov. 29, but he gave an inappropriate gesture after scoring.  

“All Michigan fans were right there at the bottom, so we out there warming up and they’re talking, talking cash money or whatever they were saying, so I was like, ‘OK, I’ll score [then] I got something for ‘em.’ I scored. I ran up, and I flipped ‘em off,” Smith said recently on the “I Am Athlete” podcast. 

Ohio State’s staff quickly got word that the picture of Smith made it to social media, and that’s when they stepped in. 

“When I made it my profile picture, they was like, ‘You can keep it up for a little bit, but you’ve got to take it down,” Smith said. 

After losing to Michigan in 2024, Smith is now 1-1 against the Wolverines. Ohio State’s star wideout had three catches for 40 yards and the touchdown in that snowy November game. 

Smith will have at least one more matchup with Michigan in 2027. The Florida native promised he would never lose to Michigan again, so that game will be one to watch next November in Columbus. 

As far as Smith’s decision to flip the bird to Michigan fans, there was clearly a better decision he could have made. Still, this rivalry brings out raw emotion sometimes, and that was an example. 

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