Michigan-Ohio State rivalry bleeds into C.J. Stroud’s Heisman Trophy ceremony entrance (Video)

C.J. Stroud was shown the cold shoulder by Michigan legend Desmond Howard during the Ohio State quarterback’s 2022 Heisman Trophy ceremony introduction.

Desmond Howard was not about to shake C.J. Stroud’s hand during the Heisman Trophy ceremony introduction on Saturday night.

These colors run deep, and they do not run. Few rivalries in college football are as bitter or as storied as the one between Michigan and Ohio State. Every Thanksgiving Weekend, they play The Game with the victor usually winning the Big Ten East and well on its way towards the College Football Playoff. Fate would have it, both teams are heading to the playoff this holiday season.

So it does not come as much of a surprise that Howard and Stroud made things awkward when the Buckeyes quarterback walked on the stage during his introduction. You can see Stroud shake the hand of USC legend Mike Garrett and Head Ball Coach Steve Spurrier. Howard blatantly looked away. Stroud looked his way, but kept moving towards the center of the stage to be a bigger man.

Robert Griffin III found the entire exchange happening in front of him to be downright hilarious.

Michigan-Ohio State rivalry overshadows C.J. Stroud’s Heisman Trophy evening

Though not all rivalries are created equally, all four finalists did have previous Heisman Trophy winners in attendance who do not exactly root for their teams on fall Saturdays. Still, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV was cordial with Florida icon Tim Tebow. You did not see Baylor great Griffin have any issues with TCU quarterback Max Duggan. Yet, here we are with Stroud…

While certain former Oklahoma stars were probably not ecstatic to see Caleb Williams join their brotherhood, they knew what the signed up for by making the trip to New York; Williams was going to win the 2022 Heisman Trophy. As for Howard, he was going to be at the ceremony, not just because he is the 1991 Heisman winner, but he is one of four ESPN employees who won it.

Still, you did not see Griffin, Tebow or former Houston quarterback Andre Ware make it about themselves. They are paid to talk for a living, or call games in Griffin and Ware’s case. It could have been awkward for Tebow or Griffin if Bennett or Duggan joined their most sacred college football fraternity, but Saturday was not about one particular school. It was about celebrating the sport!

Look. Howard knew Stroud was never going to win the Heisman. His alma mater crushed Stroud’s Buckeyes in The Game for the second season in a row. It pretty much knocked the wind out of Stroud’s serious bid to win the Heisman. Williams largely won it based on his performance vs. rival Notre Dame the same weekend. In short, Howard was not going to shake Stroud’s hand anyway.

Truthfully, even bigger things lie ahead for Stroud. He may never win the Heisman Trophy, but he still has a chance to win a national championship, as well as be the first player taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. Of course, No. 4 Ohio State has to upset Bennett’s No. 1 Georgia team in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl down in Atlanta first. Stroud’s NFL future is extraordinarily bright to be outshone here.

It would be something if Ohio State met No. 2 Michigan in a rematch for the 2022 national title…

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