The Ohio State Buckeyes crowned themselves national champions during the 2024 season, and with such success much despise for the program in Columbus has grown around the country. One player on Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs didn’t need any excuse to despise them, however, as he dropped a bold message about the Buckeyes.
Georgia offensive guard Tate Ratledge is headed to the NFL Draft after five years with Smart and the school in Athens. Ratledge was a part of the Dawgs’ NCAA national championship teams in 2021 and 2022.
According to several reports, Ratledge is expected to be a second round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The 23-year-old appeared in ten games for the Dawgs during the 2024 NCAA season.
Ratledge had a long college football career with the Dawgs, but after five seasons, he will move on to the next level. However, as he looks back on the landscape, Ratledge couldn’t hide his big dislike for the Buckeyes.
Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts during the first quarter against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Sanford Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Athens, Georgia.
“I can express this now that I’m not with Georgia football, I hate Ohio State with everything in me,” Ratledge admitted on the Mullets on the Mic podcast. “I hate them, I always have and I always will hate Ohio State.”
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Not like them
Ratledge was a four-star recruit in the 2020 class, receiving multiple offers from the top programs in college football. Prior to enrolling at Georgia under Kirby Smart, Ratledge was recruited by schools, like: Alabama, Michigan, Auburn, Tennessee, among others. One particular school who didn’t extend an offer to Ratledge? You guessed it, Ohio State.
“My family has always hated them,” Ratledge added, via ClutchPoints. “So I was kind of [brought] up to hate them. Just never liked them. The fans are cocky. Like with [the] The Ohio State University [stuff], cut that out, no one cares. Ohio State is the last team I wanted to see win [the national championship].”
