Ohio State Legend Eddie George Recalls Heated Exchange With 'Beer-Bellied' Michigan Fan
All these years later, Ohio State legend Eddie George still hasn't lost any of his disdain for Michigan.
Or, as he calls them, 'that team up north.'
The former Heisman trophy-winner appeared on OutKick 360 this week ahead of Saturday's showdown, and let the fellas know just how much he hates the Wolverines.
George, the current Tennessee State head coach who played at Ohio State from 1992-95, recalled an incident that happened a full decade after his OSU playing days.
"A fan comes into the game, and he's standing a couple rows up," George said of the 2005 game between the two schools. "He had on a white t-shirt, with barbecue stains, a beer belly and a drink in his hands. The guys says, 'F Eddie George!' I hear it and I'm like, 'That's pretty bold.'
"He doubles down ... 'F Eddie George!' I turn around and say, 'Why don't you walk your ass down these stairs and say it to my face.'"
Eddie George was an Ohio State legend, and despises Michigan to this day. (Photo by Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Eddie George gives passionate speech to Ohio State before Michigan game
The beer-bellied fan, shockingly, didn't take George up on his offer. The former OSU star eventually walked away towards the tunnel, where he was then greeted by the Michigan student section.
Turns out, they weren't the biggest Eddie George fans, either.
"Insults are just coming from all over the place," he said. "And I'm like, 'OK, now I understand why I hate this team so much.'"
George, who won the Heisman in 1995 and went on to become a four-time Pro Bowler for the Tennessee Titans, then went into the OSU locker room and had one simple request for head coach Jim Tressel.
"I said coach, I know you're a God-fearing man, a devout Christian, but do you mind if I curse?" he recalled. "He said, 'Hey, do whatever you gotta do to get these guys ready.'"
George obliged, giving the guys a speech that'll have you ready to run through a brick wall.
"I said, 'Guys, this is not a game ... this is war!" George said. "I said, 'Ten years ago to this day, I shed blood and tears in this locker room because I lost. Today is a day about legends. What are you gonna do to be a legend today?'
"After we were done I said, 'God, please let them win today.'"
Turns out, the Big Man is an OSU fan, because the Buckeyes went on to win, 25-21.
Ohio State would go on to win the Fiesta Bowl later that season, and QB Troy Smith would follow in Eddie George's footsteps and win the Heisman the following year.
Here's the full clip: