The Miami Hurricanes just threw some serious shade at Ohio State’s star wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, and college football fans are absolutely loving the drama. It all started when EA Sports dropped the official cover for the new College Football 27 video game on June 2.

Miami’s own true sophomore superstar wideout, Malachi Toney, snagged a spot for himself right on the front of the Standard Edition cover alongside Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy. Naturally, the Hurricanes’ social media team couldn’t resist taking a victory lap.

So, the second EA Sports went live with the big reveal, the Miami social media admin dropped the screenshot asking, “Is your star WR on the cover of College Football 27? 🤫🙌”. Everyone in the college football world knew that 10:10 PM tweet was a direct shot aimed at Smith, who actually graced the cover of College Football 26 the previous year.

This jab hits deeper than a video game cover. Just months ago, Miami tried hard to steal Smith from Ohio State with a $10 million NIL offer. Smith said no to the tampering attempts, clarifying that he “wasn’t going nowhere” and remaining loyal to the Buckeyes. Now seeing his spot taken by Miami’s own star feels like revenge.

Even though Miami won this specific round of internet trash talk, it didn’t take much time for Ohio State fans to bring up the hard numbers from their on-field beef. On December 31st, 2026, Miami pulled off a historic 24-14 upset over the defending national champion Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl.

In that game, Keionte Scott crushed Ohio State’s dream of running it back with a 72-yard interception return for a touchdown just as the Buckeyes were driving to tie the score. The matchup also brought back memories of the famous 2003 national championship game that went to double overtime, adding even more history to the rivalry.

Nonetheless, when you compare both of them, both receivers played to their fullest this past season. Miami’s Malachi Toney had one heck of a freshman season: 109s, 1,211 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns, while bagging the ACC Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has been just as impressive, recording 163 catches, 2,558 yards, and 27 touchdowns in only two seasons.

This dramatic back-and-forth is exactly why the college football offseason is more entertaining than any of the other sports, amateur or even professional. It turns a simple gaming marketing campaign into a multi-million dollar narrative between two iconic sports brands.

While Toney gets to sport his new No. 1 jersey on retail shelves globally, starting with the early access trials on July 2, 2026, Smith is rumored to hold a rare, maximum 99 overall player rating in the actual video game. This is college football offseason magic. A video game cover becomes personal history between two programs. Smith stayed loyal to Ohio State when $10 million knocked.

Now, Malachi Toney wears the jersey on the box. But both know the real score gets settled on the field, not on a cover.

Every new detail you need to know about CFB 2027

The College Football 27 game is fixing a lot of the annoying bugs from the last few years and bringing back some absolute fan-favourite features. The biggest news for old-school fans is the official return of Mascot Matchup mode.

Instead of using regular players, you can fill the field with giant school mascots.

They can run normal plays, make crazy moves, and crash into each other all game long. The gameplay is also getting a major upgrade. Defensive AI is being improved, which means defensive backs should cover wide receivers much better instead of constantly leaving them wide open.

Dynasty Mode is getting a huge makeover with a new system called “The Dynasty Blueprint.” The game is putting a bigger focus on today’s college football world by adding NIL deals and transfer portal battles. If you are not careful, other schools can offer big money deals to lure your best players away.

Even more interesting, when a head coach leaves for another school, some players may enter the transfer portal to follow that coach. For fans of Road to Glory, the mode is becoming much more interactive.

Reports suggest players will be able to compete in high school playoff games and major recruiting events before choosing a college. A new health system is also being added. Players will have to manage their athletes’ health throughout the season to avoid injuries and stay fresh for important games. EA Sports will reveal all of these changes during its full gameplay deep dive on Thursday, June 4, at 8:00 PM ET.