The Ohio State football program has lost four straight games to TTUN. It's the first time a streak like that has happened since 1988-93, when they went six straight games without getting a win. Quite frankly, it's the biggest red mark on Ryan Day's resume as a head coach.
Losing to TTUN grinds players up inside. It fired up the Ohio State Buckeyes so much last season that it helped them go on a historic tear that ended in a national championship. Still, the Buckeyes hate losing to their rivals, and they want to end this terrible streak they are on.
Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football. He's someone who can't be completely stopped at any point on the football field. He's also just a sophomore, meaning he'll be in Columbus for two more years. Smith also can't stand Michigan and let his true feelings out recently.
Ohio State football player Jeremiah Smith lets everyone know how much he hates Michigan
While speaking on The Triple Option, which includes former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, Smith let everyone know how much he despises TTUN.
Meyer asked what Smith's reaction is when he hears "That Team Up North", and Smith's reaction was instant.
"Hate. With everything in me, I hate them. I hate them."
Smith was then asked how he learned to hate them with so much passion, and he was quick with that answer, too.
"High school recruiting. I think when I came in, I made a mistake, and I was wearing like dark blue. And there was Coach Hartline and Coach Keenan Bailey, and they were like, "You can't wear them colors here". And then I was like, "Okay, it's real."
Smith has never wavered in his hate since joining the Buckeyes. He continues to dislike them with every fiber of his being, just like all of the fans out there. He understands how much this game means to the fans, and he wants to end the streak more than anyone else.
Day learned after losing last year that he can't be conservative with his play-calling in that game. If he wants to win it in Ann Arbor this season, he has to be aggressive on offense. That means getting the ball to Smith as much as he can, something that they failed to do in Columbus last year. That likely won't happen again in November.