Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud takes jab at Michigan sign-steal scandal ahead of The Game: Buckeye Breakfast

COLUMBUS, Ohio - C.J. Stroud didn’t want to rehash his Ohio State football career earlier this season when it came to his losses to Michigan, even with the sign-stealing allegations.

The former Buckeye quarterback instead chose to keep the focus on his first season with the Texans, which through 10 games has him as the front runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He took the stance of letting the past be the past while living with the disappointment of never getting a win in the rivalry .

He didn’t take that same route the second time the topic of discussion came up.

Stroud has become a media darling of late thanks to a rookie season that has already had him break two different records while throwing for 2,982 yards and 17 touchdowns. That comes with attention, like constantly being a guest on podcasts and talk shows. Last week he sat down with Tom Brady on the soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback’s podcast “Let’s Go,” where the two made a bet on the outcome of The Game .

Now that the week of the matchup has arrived, Stroud saw a chance to have his fun with the ongoing saga while talking with ESPN’s Ryan Clark about his former team’s chances of winning.

“I’m confident, man,” Stroud said . “I’m really proud of those guys. I know that they’re gonna go up there and fight their tales off. Hopefully, they don’t steal signals this time.”

Urban Meyer on the rivalry

No Ohio State head coach has had more success against Michigan than Urban Meyer.

Meyer faced the Wolverines seven times, and won each time despite the games being all over the scale in terms competitiveness. He had a game where he needed a game-winning interception on a two-point conversion attempt (2013). He had a game go into double overtime (2016). He even won a game with his backup quarterback (2017) after having his starter get taken out by a cameraman before the game. Then that same backup won the job the following year just to score 62 points in Meyer’s last rivalry game as the head coach.

His time in the rivalry featured plenty of memorable moments. But his record was also dominant as the only coach on either side to leave it undefeated. He’s also an Ohio native who grew up in it and went to drastic measures to make sure everyone around him understood it.

Now that he gets to watch it as an observer again, much of that same emotion still lives on. Watch below as he discusses what the rivalry means to him.

"It's not a big week. It's not a big month. It's not a big game. It's a way of life." , who led for seven seasons, shares what means to those around the program. pic.twitter.com/8CzRyEILa6

— Big Ten Football November 20, 2023

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