Ohio State Buckeyes Receive Strong Message From Michigan Commit

Despite the Ohio State Buckeyes' matchup against the Michigan Wolverines being over 140 days away, the tension is beginning to grow yet again for the biggest rivalry in college football.

The offseason drama began in the month of July when star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith pledged that "he will not lose" to Michigan in an interview with The Athletic.

“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,”Smith told The Athletic.“In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs. But I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.”

Smith's comments on the big game gained the attention of the national media, which also led to the Wolverines' newest commit in the 2026 recruiting class, Dorian Barney, to make a claim of his own. When discussing the his commitment with Rivals, the four-star cornerback claimed that he “will not lose to Ohio State”.

NEWS: Michigan lands a commitment from 4-star CB Dorian Barney out of Carrollton (Ga.). 〽️

“The culture is crazy there,” Barney told Rivals.

Story: https://t.co/BdyTFPlWos pic.twitter.com/iFI1ClOkIl
— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) July 5, 2025

As a consesus top-20 player in the state of Georgia, Barney recently chose head coach Sherrone Moore and the Wolverines over the likes of Ole Miss and Texas A&M on Jul. 5. His commitment now puts Michigan as the No. 7-ranked program in the 2026 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports' Composite Ratings.

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