Former Ohio State QB CJ Stroud fires shots at Michigan ahead of 'The Game': "Hopefully they don't steal no signals this time"

Ohio State Buckeyes fans are having fun with the troubles plaguing arch-rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, who are under investigation over an allegedly widespread in-person sign-stealing scandal.

Former Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud, who now plays for the Houston Texans, could not help himself from throwing a jibe at the Wolverines during an appearance on "Inside the NFL."

"I'm very confident, proud of those guys," Stroud said. "I know that they're gonna go up there and fight their tails off, and hopefully, they don’t steal no signals this time."

On an episode of Tom Brady's "Let's Go!" podcast, C.J. Stroud gave further thoughts on the clash between the No. 2 Buckeyes and the No. 3 Wolverines.

"We confident, man. We're feeling great as well and playing our best ball in November, which is what you want to see," Stroud said. "Hopefully, we pull it out. We need it. I hate you guys, but you have my respect."

C.J. Stroud seems to feel very strongly about "The Game," a matchup he lost twice to the Michigan Wolverines. NFL legend Tom Brady even made a bet with the Texans' quarterback on a recent episode of his podcast.

"If Ohio State wins ... you get one of my Super Bowl rings," Brady said. "And if Michigan beats the Buckeyes, then you got to give me all your youth, your agility, your time in the 40 (yard dash) and all your future years in the NFL. How about that?"

"That's a bet," Stroud replied.

The clash between the Michigan Wolverines (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 3 CFP) and the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0, No. 2 CFP) brings out the competitiveness in everyone, and even off of the gridiron, the stakes have been raised significantly.

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Can Ryan Day ignite Ohio State Buckeyes' running game?

The team that has recorded the most rushing yards in "The Game" has won every matchup between the two schools since 2001.

During an episode of "The Herd," Colin Cowherd detailed the different approaches the two teams take to the running game:

"Ohio State's run game is eighth in the Big Ten! Not the country, eighth in the Big Ten! Michigan has one of the nation's best running games. No. 2 in Power Five rushing touchdowns. Why does that matter? The last 21 times Michigan and Ohio State have played, the team that rushed for more yards won."

Running back TreVeyon Henderson could be the answer for coach Ryan Day. He has 794 yards on 118 receptions, resulting in 10 touchdowns this season.

It will be interesting to observe whether Day can find a way to ignite the Buckeyes' running game ahead of their biggest matchup this year since another loss in the OSU-MU matchup would not look rosy on his resume.