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Jeremiah Smith Shares Photo of Himself Flipping Off Michigan Fans in Ohio State's Win

The star receiver caught a 35-yard touchdown against the Wolverines.
Jeremiah Smith caught a touchdown for Ohio State in its win over Michigan Saturday
Jeremiah Smith caught a touchdown for Ohio State in its win over Michigan Saturday | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State star receiver and Heisman hopeful Jeremiah Smith was an example of the distaste between his school and bitter rival Michigan during the Buckeyes’ 27-9 win at the Big House Saturday.

After hauling in a 35-yard touchdown from quarterback Julian Sayin, the national broadcast caught Smith making his feelings toward the Wolverines clear. A photo from the moment that showed Smith flipping off Michigan fans after the score quickly went viral. After the game, he posted the viral screenshot himself on his X account.

There’s no love lost between Ohio State and Michigan, but the postgame scenes this year were much calmer than the last meeting between the two sides. The Wolverines upset the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium last year and planted their flag at midfield, which ignited a brawl.

This time, Ohio State players tried to make an apparent flag-plant attempt, but the move was quickly thwarted by coach Ryan Day and his staff. Michigan players stayed on the field an extra few minutes to protect its block “M” logo from any funny business. Day preached that his team planned to “win with humility” after the win. Still, Smith couldn’t help but poke fun at his rival after Ohio State’s first win over Michigan in 2,191 days. It’s his first win over the Wolverines, and he was undoubtedly pumped up to celebrate the victory with the Buckeyes fans who made the trip.

Smith had three catches for 40 yards and the somewhat controversial score on the day. He has 11 touchdowns with 942 receiving yards on 72 receptions this season, plus one rushing score.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.