WATCH: Ohio State Alum Justin Fields Talks 'Hated' Rivalry vs. Michigan
The showdown between Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines is considered among the greatest sports rivalries. There are no moral wins or losses in the series. Just a locker to clean out and a long bus ride home for the loser of the matchup.
Justin Fields might not longer don the Scarlet and Gray uniform, but the third-year quarterback for the Chicago Bears still has much disdain in his heart for the Big Ten program that's bested the Buckeyes over the previous two seasons. And yes, the hatred is real, even for the Georgia native that became a staple of Ohio State football in the Ryan Day era.
In an interview with radio host Rich Eisen during Super Bowl week, Fields spoke of 'The Game' and how the rivalry goes well past the white lines on the field. When asked how he felt that the Wolverines had won back-to-back games against the Buckeyes, Fields made sure to get a jab in at Jim Harbaugh's program.
"That's their second [win] in nine, 10 years?" Fields said to Eisen, a Michigan alum, with a smile. "You can get seven in a row. If you want to compare that little two to seven, you got it. Y'all lost to TCU. Nobody expected that, right? Y'all did get a Big Ten championship."
Fields said multiple UM alums pestered him following the Wolverines' 45-23 win over the Buckeyes in the 2022 season finale at Ohio Stadium prior to the Bears' Week 12 loss to the New York Jets. The former Buckeyes gunslinger did not play against the AFC East franchise after being ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Like Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts, Fields is affiliated with two major college football programs. Before joining the Buckeyes in 2019, Fields played one year for Georgia, throwing for 328 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games.
Fields said his allegiance is to the program that gave him the opportunity to grow as a prospect. When asked who he rooted for in Ohio State's 42-41 loss to eventual national champion Georgia, Fields stated he was pulling for the Buckeyes.
"I'm always rooting for O[hio] State, for sure," Fields said.
A two-year starter for Ohio State, Fields threw for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns in 22 games. He helped the Buckeyes win the Big Ten Championship in 2019 and 2020 and led the program to its first national championship appearance since 2014 during the COVID-19 season against Alabama.
Due to the limited number of games in 2020, Fields only faced off against the Wolverines once during his time in Columbus. He finished 14 of 25 passing for 302 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 56-27 win.
As a member of the NFC North, Fields says he often will run into Michigan fans when playing the Detroit Lions. While the jersey has changed, his hatred toward the Maize and Blue remains at an all-time high.
"I'm telling you, when you're at Ohio State and it's that week to play them, you've got their jerseys on the ground, you're walking over their jerseys; you put their logo in the toilets, you're peeing on the logos," Fields said. "They don't play any games. They prepare for that game 365 days a year."
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