We’ve now entered the tit for tat stage of the Ohio State vs. Michigan football rivalry, apparently. Just a few days after OSU receiver Jeremiah Smith guaranteed he wouldn’t lose to the Wolverines the next two seasons, a recent Michigan commit, cornerback Dorian Barney, doubled down and unoriginally said the same thing about his time in Ann Arbor, but the reverse. However, he took it a step further and guaranteed Michigan wouldn’t lose to Ohio State as long as he put the Maize and Blue on.
While talking to On3’s Chad Simmons (subscription may be required), Barney was simple, succinct, brash, bold, and outlandish in his claim, stating, “I will not lose to Ohio State while I am there.”
That’s a bold claim unless Barney is planning on entering the transfer portal or getting kicked out of school there at Michigan after a year or two, especially against a team that recruits and plays at the highest of levels. The last two games have been extremely close in the Wolverines’ favor, and it’s hard to imagine either team having a significant upper hand in the rivalry going forward unless Michigan gets stung by the NCAA when all the dust settles with the Connor Stalions drama.
Remember, this rivalry, affectionately known as “The Game,” has lived on upsets and unpredictable outcomes, so guaranteeing anything, whether it be from Smith or any player on both sides of the rivalry, is just not productive or helpful for the cause. In fact, it can be quite the contrary and result in distractions.
At some point, it’s just time to let your play on the field do the talking. What’s next, a player coming out and saying their team won’t lose until a Maize and Blue colored asteroid hits the Earth?
