Remember what happened the last time The Game was played in Ann Arbor. 2,191 days. That’s how long it took Ohio State to beat Michigan in this fierce rivalry. But the 27-9 win produced another moment that quickly spread across social media. And it involved WR Jeremiah Smith letting his rival team’s fans know exactly how he felt.

Early in the second quarter, QB Julian Sayin found Jeremiah Smith downfield for a 35-yard score. The play was clean, but the celebration took a wilder turn. As the national broadcast cameras rolled, the WR ran toward the end zone wall and delivered a one-finger salute to the Michigan fans packed just a few feet away. 

Within minutes, screenshots of the moment were circulating everywhere. To add to the burn, Jeremiah Smith actually posted the viral image himself on X after the game. But as it turns out, he didn’t do it out of nowhere. Smith later explained during an appearance on the I Am Next podcast how Michigan fans had been heckling him before that moment.  

“All Michigan fans are right there at the bottom, so we out there warming up, they talking cash, money, and whatever they was saying,” Jeremiah Smith told former Clemson TB Darien Rencher. “So I’m like, OK, I scored, I got something for them. I scored, I ran up, and flipped it off of them.” 

Jeremiah Smith also admitted that he never planned that moment, and also did not realize that the cameras had a clean shot until teammates showed him in the locker room. That’s when he understood the gravity and the virality of that incident.

Things did not end at the end-zone wall. After sealing Ohio State’s win with three catches for 40 yards, Jeremiah Smith reposted the screenshot, but this time, he made it his profile picture. That’s when the adults had to step in, as he said the coaches let it ride for a brief moment, but later asked him to take it down before it became a massive issue for Smith.

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

Ryan Day already had bigger concerns. A year earlier, the rivalry spilled over after a midfield flag incident. That meeting at Ohio Stadium ended in chaos. Michigan upset the Buckeyes and planted a flag at midfield, triggering a brawl between players from both teams. The staff was determined not to repeat what had happened the previous year. So when Buckeye players appeared ready to return the favor after winning, the head coach immediately shut it down. His message afterward was “win with humility.”

Jeremiah Smith’s celebration didn’t exactly scream humility. But after waiting years to beat Michigan, plenty of Buckeye fans understood the emotion. And judging by Smith’s history with the rivalry, the tension isn’t going anywhere.

The Buckeyes’ win was described by analysts as a “masterclass” in physical domination. Despite an early 6–0 lead for Michigan fueled by two field goals and an interception, Ohio State took control in the second quarter and never looked back. Sayin finished with 233 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Underwood was held to just 63 yards. The defense held Michigan to a season-low 163 total yards and did not allow a single touchdown.

For Ryan Day, this was seen as “getting the monkey off his back” after years of intense pressure following consecutive losses to Michigan. The win secured Ohio State’s spot in the Big Ten Championship against Indiana and all but ended Michigan’s 2025 playoff hopes.

Jeremiah Smith has clear feelings about Michigan 

If anything, the next chapter could be even bigger. According to Sports Illustrated, the November 27 showdown between Ohio State and Michigan is already being labeled the most intriguing matchup of the 2026 season. That shouldn’t surprise anyone who follows the Big Ten. “The Game” almost always sits at the center of the conference race.

When Jeremiah Smith spoke with The Athletic last summer, he gave a raw opinion.

“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to That Team Up North was pretty crazy,” he said. “I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them.”

Part of that promise has been fulfilled, thanks to him. The former 5-star recruit from the 2024 class has already piled up 2,558 receiving yards and 27 scores entering his junior season. 

Jeremiah Smith has also earned the program’s Iron Buckeye recognition every time it’s been awarded since his arrival in Columbus. So when he talks about the rivalry, people heed his words. And from that viral moment in Ann Arbor, he clearly doesn’t mind reminding Michigan fans exactly where he stands.