The Game takes place once every 365 days, but the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry never truly sleeps.
Days after Jeremiah Smith promised he wouldn't lose to Michigan again, 2026 cornerback Dorian Barney, a former Alabama pledge, committed to the Wolverines on Saturday and didn't mince his words when it came to The Game.
“I will not lose to Ohio State while I’m there,” Barney told On3's Chad Simmons.
Whether the timing was a coincidence or not, Barney kept it short and sweet when it came to his thoughts on The Game, even though he hasn't participated in it yet.
“I will not lose to Ohio State while I’m there.”– 2026 Michigan commit Dorian Barney on Ohio State
Last weekend, Smith didn't hold back when discussing the rivalry. More specifically, how it ended last November and how it will be different over the next couple of years.
“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.”
“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.”– Jeremiah Smith on Michigan
Barney said he committed to Michigan due to the Wolverines' ability to develop cornerbacks, their culture, the Wolverine fanbase and how Michigan prepares its players for life after football, among other things. Ironically, those are the same types of things he said about the Buckeyes following his visit to Ohio State in April 2024. Back then, Barney had plenty of praise for Ohio State, which he considered a dream school at the time.
“It would be great because you’re competing with other cornerbacks to get a spot on the field and you’re going against the best receivers in college football in practice,” Barney told Eleven Warriors at the time. “You’d also have one of the best DB coaches in football and you’d be part of BIA.
“When I got offered by them, it was surreal because it was one of my dream schools. Ohio State sends so many DBs to the league. That’s what I’m trying to get.”
Michigan has won four straight matchups in The Game after Ohio State had won 15 of the previous 16 games dating back to 2004, including eight straight wins over the Wolverines before Michigan's latest streak in the rivalry.
We'll find out who was right, Smith or Barney, in the next edition of The Game on Nov. 29.
