Ohio State AD Gene Smith gets into heated exchange with Michigan staffer on sideline of The Game

One of the most heated rivalries in college football renewed on Saturday as Michigan and Ohio State squared off in The Game. At one point, on the sidelines in the second half, it appeared as if Buckeyes athletic director Gene Smith got into a heated exchange with a Wolverines staffer.

The tense moment took place as TreVeyon Henderson scored Ohio State’s second touchdown of the game to tie things up at 17-17. It’s unclear what led to the back-and-forth.

Michigan later scored a touchdown to get back on top, 24-17.

Ohio State AD Gene Smith gets into it with a sideline official after Buckeyes touchdown

Then a Michigan staffer swiped at my phone. pic.twitter.com/KHx77zp5cI

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) November 25, 2023

The stakes are high once again in the biggest rivalry in college football. Ohio State entered the game as the No. 2-ranked team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings while Michigan came in right behind the Buckeyes at No. 3. The winner would not only advance to the Big Ten Championship, but would have a clearer path to the CFP with a victory over Iowa next week in Indianapolis.

The Wolverines are also going without Jim Harbaugh, who’s serving the final game of a three-game suspension. As Ohio State tries to avoid a third consecutive loss to Michigan for the first time since the 1990s, former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer wondered what that would mean for the complexity of the matchup.

“For Coach Harbaugh to not coach in this game, I almost start sweating thinking about that,” Meyer said on Urban’s Take with Tim May. “‘What do you mean you’re not coaching in The Game?’ He’s a former player, great player there. Beat the Buckeyes two years in a row.

“All of this one the line and you’re not coaching in this game? And you’re not fighting it? So, there is stuff there… It got real serious when they said ‘We’re not going to fight this.’”

Harbaugh was suspended just hours before Michigan went on the road and played Penn State. Originally, the plan was the fight the decision from the Big Ten, attempting to have him back for the Maryland and Ohio State games.

However, Michigan decided to accept the suspension and will be without Harbaugh. The players have worn shirts saying ‘Free Harbaugh’ and will clearly be thinking of their head coach leading up to kickoff in Ann Arbor. Harbaugh will have to be watching from elsewhere, though.

Meyer knew a thing or two about coaching in The Game during his time as the Ohio State head coach. He was undefeated during his seven seasons with the program. Four of those were against Jim Harbaugh, with the 2016 matchup being the most notable.

Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.