Michigan's Kris Jenkins admits he hated to see Ohio State go out how they did in Cotton Bowl

Michigan won “The Game” against Ohio State this year, but not every Wolverine has forgotten about the Buckeyes. On Saturday, Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins commented on Ohio State’s underwhelming 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

“I didn’t like that at all,” Jenkins said. “That wasn’t a team we played. I mean, you know, I’m a hater, so don’t want to see them win but don’t want to see them go out like that, either. That was rough.”

Ohio State looked like a shell of itself in the loss. In fairness, it only had a fraction of its original roster on the field. Ohio State starting quarterback Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal after the regular season and transferred to Syracuse before the Cotton Bowl.

To make matters worse, OSU standout receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. opted not to play in the bowl to avoid injury risks ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Moreover, the team was without wideout Julian Fleming, who also entered the portal after the regular season.

With McCord gone, Ohio State started sophomore quarterback Devin Brown behind center. Head coach Ryan Day was confident in the move. However, early in the first half of OSU’s loss, Brown left the game with an injury and was unable to return.

Brown’s injury forced freshman quarterback Lincoln Kienholz into the spotlight. The lights were a bit too bright. He completed just 6-of-17 pass attempts for 87 total yards in the lackluster loss. Ohio State only amassed 203 total yards of offense against the Tigers.

Michigan did not face the same team

Ohio State was nearly unrecognizable from the team that narrowly lost to Michigan just over a month earlier. In the 30-24 fall to the Wolverines, Ohio State racked up 378 yards compared to Michigan’s 338.

With a minute left in the game, the Buckeyes had the ball and were a highlight play away from stunning the Wolverines at home. Jenkins recorded five tackles in the game, the third-most on the team. He knows Ohio State is better than what they showed against Missouri.

“I’m a hater, but that ain’t the team we played against on 25th of November,” Jenkins said. “It wasn’t sad. But dang, man. You feel me? Does that make sense? Your rival, y’all hate each other, but you want them to play good. But that was tough to watch.”

Now, Jenkins has to focus on his own matchup. Michigan will face off against Alabama at 5 p.m. ET on Monday in the Rose Bowl. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. The winner will advance to the national championship.