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 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. On I Am Athlete podcast, he detailed how Michigan fans had been jawing at 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 finished the game with three catches for 40 yards, but that score sealed Ohio State’s victory. Still, the celebration created a small headache. Head coach Ryan Day and the Buckeye staff didn’t exactly love the gesture as the WR admitted “they got on me a little bit.” The real issue came when he made the middle-finger screenshot his profile picture on X.

“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 had bigger concerns that afternoon anyway. Ohio State wanted the win badly, but the staff was determined not to repeat what happened the previous year. That earlier 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. 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.

Jeremiah Smith has clear feelings on 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.