Michigan HC Sherrone Moore makes something clear to Ryan Day, Ohio State on potential postgame chaos in The Game

It seems like only yesterday the 2025 college football season kicked off. Yet in the blink of an eye, Sherrone Moore and the Michigan Wolverines are preparing to host Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The long-awaited week of The Game has arrived, and fans across the nation are turning their eyes to the most hate-fueled rivalry in college football.

Last year’s meeting remains a vivid memory on each school’s head. Last season, Michigan walked into The Shoe in Columbus and handed Ohio State a heart-crushing loss. This time around, the Wolverines will vie to snap the Buckeyes’ 11-game win streak and spoil their unbeaten season hopes.

Although Ohio State went on to hoist the NCAA Division I National Championship last season, the loss to The Team Up North left an indelible stain on the Buckeyes’ résumé. On top of that, watching the Wolverines plant their flag at midfield sparked an all-out brawl between the two sides. This time around, Moore and Michigan are making their intentions clear to Day and Ohio State should they win at home in The Big House.

“We talked about that at the beginning of the year,” Sherrone Moore admitted, via On3. “And we’ve been pretty good about any postgame interactions. When we win a game or when you’re in the game, we’re going to go to our student section and go to our band and shake hands, cordial ending, and be done with it. And that’s it. So, our guys have been good about that, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Lesson learned after chaotic ending in 2024

Although nothing can take away the feeling of fulfillment Michigan had last year after taking down Ohio State to cap off an otherwise discouraging season, the postgame incidents did leave a sour taste on everybody’s mouths.

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Now, Moore and company preach taking the high road regardless of the outcome. However, whether that actually happens remains to be seen. After all, ‘The Game’ is a rivalry matchup filled with tension and flying sparks. When the zeros hit the clock, who knows if the Wolverines can keep their promise about being cool, calm, and collected?

The game within ‘The Game’

One thing is clear: Saturday’s showdown in Ann Arbor is a must-watch. Ryan Day and Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) could suffer their fifth straight defeat to Michigan (9-2. 7-1 conference) and risk losing their spot in the Big Ten Championship Game—a position that was virtually secured coming into the matchup.

Head coach Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines.

As for the Wolverines, a win would do wonders for their College Football Playoff résumé and could even send them to the conference title game—though that will depend on results elsewhere around the league.

Through the years, Ohio State and Michigan have established their dispute as the biggest rivalry in college football. Whenever the two programs collide on the gridiron, tempers flare, and neither side comes out the same as it was going in. As the two schools face off in the regular-season finale, winning or losing could prove the difference between going on a hot streak to win it all or being stopped in one’s tracks and spiraling out of control entirely.