Big Ten Media Days featured plenty of talk about the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. Sherrone Moore has put an end to flag planting, and Derrick Moore claimed that Ohio State’s national championship doesn’t count, but amongst the fighting fallout and fighting words, came an admission from the second-year head coach that Michigan fans won’t love to hear.
Sherrone Moore says Jeremiah Smith is “probably the best college football player that’s out there.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) July 24, 2025
“He’s elite,” Moore said.
Moore said he’s “not going to give away all the secrets” for how they can defend him, but said you have to be able to make the quarterback uncomfortable
Sherrone Moore calls Jeremiah Smith the best player in college football
In his first season as a Buckeye, Jeremiah Smith dominated just about everyone on Ohio State’s schedule, everyone except for Michigan. In Michigan’s surprising upset win, the Wolverines held the superstar freshman to just 35 yards and a touchdown on five catches.
Those 35 yards were the second-lowest total of Smith’s regular season and the third-lowest of the year after Texas held him to three yards on one catch in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Smith finished the year with 76 grabs for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns and was named a first-team All-American by USA Today.
Regardless of the level of hate in the rivalry, it's hard to deny that Smith is one of the best players in the country. It just may not feel great for Michigan fans to hear it from their own head coach.
There’s never been love in college football’s greatest rivalry, and the tensions have only amplified amidst Michigan’s four-game win streak, with the two programs accounting for the past two national championships. So, Moore’s praise for Smith at Big Ten Media Days came as a bit of a surprise.
Perhaps the more interesting part of the comments was about the “secrets” for slowing down Smith that Moore was reluctant to share. There may not be a cornerback in the country who can handle Smith one-on-one, but last season’s Michigan’s dominance in the trenches was enough to keep him and the entire Ohio State offense in check.
Michigan pressured Will Howard on half of his dropbacks in last season’s matchup, and he completed just six of his 16 attempts when pressured for 74 yards and an interception. Without Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Josiah Stewart, that could be difficult to replicate in 2025, but it sounds like Moore has a few tricks up his sleeve.