Ohio State AD is wrong for thinking Michigan wins deserve asterisk

Michigan and Ohio State football have arguably the most heated rivalry in sports history, but the latest statements from OSU athletic director Gene Smith may take "the game" to an all-new level.

Recently appearing on a Central Ohio podcast, Smith was asked by host Anna Staver if he believes Michigan's last two wins over the Buckeyes should come with an asterisk.

Michigan has beaten Ohio State three games in a row, and Staver was wondering if Smith thinks that winning streak "deserves a little bit of an asterisk since, for at least two of those years, it appears they were cheating."

“Yeah, of course I do,” Smith said with a chuckle, (h/t Eleven Warriors). “The rules are in place to protect the integrity of the game and try your best to create a level playing field, and when those rules are violated, then it affects those principles. And so, we have to keep that in perspective.”

Michigan was recently hit with penalties for recruiting during a COVID-19 dead period (penalties that included a show-cause for several former coaches). But the alleged cheating Staver and Smith are talking about has to do with former recruiting analyst Connor Stalions, who was supposedly in charge of an illegal sign-stealing operation at Michigan.

Stalions was forced to resign last season, and linebackers coach Chris Partridge was fired for his role in covering up the acts.

The NCAA is still investigating that case against Michigan, and it's worth noting that Jim Harbaugh's departure for the NFL won't impact any measures taken against the Wolverines.

On the flip side, it's also worth noting that Stalions was long gone before the Wolverines beat the undefeated Buckeyes, 30-24, with a perfect season and the College Football Playoffs on the line. To that point, Harbaugh wasn't even involved with that game, as he was serving out the third game of a three-game suspension the NCAA handed out to him because of the cheating allegations.

Sure, Michigan may have been gaining the upper hand over the past few seasons, but there's no doubting the fact that OSU had every chance to beat Michigan this past season, and the Buckeyes didn't.

No asterisk can change that fact.