Not only did Michigan defeat the Ohio State for a third straight time on Saturday, but one of their players openly questioned the toughness of the Buckeyes after the game.
Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson was asked whether he noticed Ohio State getting tougher over the years. Wilson said “definitely not” and proceeded to say that the Buckeyes “act hard,” per Alejandro Zúñiga of 247Sports.
Michigan WR Roman Wilson on whether Ohio State has gotten tougher over the years:
“No. Definitely not. I told the receivers this whole week: You’ve got guys back there — this is a thing I thought too — guys who you want to put on the Louis V, the thousand-dollar outfit. You…
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) November 25, 2023
Wilson added that he feels he’s not “the toughest guy in the world” but that he wanted it more than the Ohio State players did. The Buckeyes certainly beat themselves in a sense, as they turned the ball over twice compared to zero giveaways for the Wolverines. But it was the physicality of the Michigan running game—which rumbled for 156 yards, the third-highest total allowed by the Buckeyes defense this season— that seemed to make the difference in the game.
Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press/USA TODAY Network
Wilson is not the first to question Ohio State’s toughness this season, as former Notre Dame coach and TV analyst Lou Holtz publicly called out the Buckeyes’ lack of grit before their game against the Fighting Irish earlier this year. But Wilson’s comments certainly sting a bit more, given that he’s lining up on the other side against Ohio State.
