Once a Wolverine, always a Wolverine. The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry never takes a day off. Neither does former Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. Even with his college career in the rearview, the Minnesota Vikings rookie isn’t letting up when it comes to taking shots at the Buckeyes. This time, he didn’t even have to say much—just one word.
When Detroit Red Wings captain and fellow Michigan alum Dylan Larkin took aim at Ohio Stadium ahead of the 2025 NHL Stadium Series, J.J. McCarthy made sure to add his voice in the chorus. Larkin, who will take the ice in Columbus for an outdoor showdown against the Blue Jackets, didn’t hold back when assessing the venue. “It’s probably the ugliest stadium I’ve ever played in,” he joked. The former Wolverine wasted no time co-signing the sentiment. Sharing the captain’s comment on his Instagram story on March 2, he simply added, “Facts.”
For Michigan fans, Dylan Larkin’s comments about Ohio Stadium hit home. The Shoe may hold 102,780 fans, but it’s not quite the spectacle that is The Big House, which reigns as the largest stadium in the country at 107,601. He did acknowledge the uniqueness of playing an outdoor game in a football stadium, but he couldn’t resist one last dig—“It’s going to be cool to play outside but this stadium’s not anything special.” What a day for Michigan fans and alums, for that matter!
J.J. McCarthy has every right to keep talking. After all, he went 3-0 against Ohio State. When he arrived in Ann Arbor in 2019, Michigan hadn’t beaten the Buckeyes since 2011. By the time he left, he had flipped the script, winning three straight, securing three Big Ten titles, a Rose Bowl victory, and a National Championship. And if you’re perfect against your rival, the trash talk is endless.
J.J. McCarthy’s pride in the rivalry’s momentum shift
This isn’t the first time J.J. McCarthy took a dig at Ohio State. In July 2024, he made headlines for sharing an IG post pointing out that “100% of OSU’s 2024 roster has never beaten Michigan.” He added a hand-covering laughter emoji to indicate he’s slyly laughing at the Buckeyes. And the troll carries weight because for years, his rival team owned their matchups.
Ohio State won eight straight games from 2011 to 2019 and looked untouchable. Then, Michigan flipped the script with J.J. McCarthy entering the picture. After leaving with three wins against the Buckeyes, Sherrone Moore retained the momentum with a close 13-10 win in 2024, marking Ryan Day‘s fourth straight loss in The Game. This victory propelled McCarthy to post a meme from The Office featuring Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute holding up a sign reading—“1,827 days since our last loss vs. Ohio State.”
J.J. McCarthy may now be focused on his NFL career. But as long as The Game exists, he’ll never be too far from the Michigan-Ohio State discourse. As stated above, once a Wolverine, always a Wolverine. And as long as Michigan keeps winning, he’ll always have the last laugh.
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