Michigan Quarterback J.J. McCarthy: “All We Know Is Beating Ohio State”

The Wolverines ended an eight-game losing streak to the Buckeyes with a 42-27 win last November.

Author:
Andrew Lind
Publish date:
Feb 27, 2022 2:38 PM EST

In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Wolverines Digest, Michigan rising sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy reflected on last season’s 42-27 win over Ohio State.

Not only was it the Wolverines’ first win over the Buckeyes in 10 years, but it was even more meaningful for McCarthy, who grew up an Ohio State fan but ended up at Michigan after head coach Ryan Day accepted a commitment from sophomore quarterback Kyle McCord during the 2021 recruiting cycle.

“For me, that rivalry is very personal, and I won’t dive too deep into that,” McCarthy said. “That was just one of those games where you definitely want to win it a lot more than the other ones. Of course, you want to win every game the way that you want to win every game, but that one was super, super nice to win.”

McCarthy played just six snaps against the Buckeyes as the backup to rising senior Cade McNamara last season, notably completing a 31-yard pass that set up a touchdown and rushing two times for 12 yards.

The two figure to compete for the starting job this spring and fall, though, which means McCarthy could be starter for the Wolverines when they come to Columbus on Nov. 26.

“For us, the whole 10-year stretch of us not winning, that’s all we know is beating Ohio State right now,” McCarthy said, “so we’re going to keep that going.”

After knocking off Ohio State, Michigan went on to win the Big Ten title and clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff, falling to eventual national champion Georgia in the semifinal at the Orange Bowl.

The Buckeyes, meanwhile, set multiple offensive records in a come-from-behind win over Utah in the Rose Bowl. Both teams will likely start the 2022 season in the top five of all the major polls, potentially setting up another memorable meeting between the two rivals.

Update: Fifth-year senior linebacker Teradja Mitchell shared a photo to his Instagram stories on Monday morning that show McCarthy's quote has already made its way to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.