It’s ‘Rivalry Week’ and that only means one thing: ‘The Game’ is taking place over the weekend. However, the tension escalates over the week of preparation. Ahead of this decisive clash, Michigan Wolverines offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell made a powerful comment on how they gameplanned for Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes.
Contrary to past seasons, Michigan enters ‘The Game’ with not much at stake. Ohio State, on the other hand, has everything on the line. The Buckeyes heads into Saturday’s bout with a 7-1 record in Big Ten play, securing the win is vital for them to secure a place in the conference championship game against the Oregon Ducks.
While Michigan’s season does not hang on this matchup, their pride sure does. And so does Ohio State’s. The Buckeyes have lost its last three games against the Wolverines and they are favorites to win this time around. Another loss, at home ground, would be devastating.
Michigan may no longer be the best program in college football as they were earlier this year, but they are still competitive and will vye to spoil the Buckeyes’ fantastic campaign. On that note, the Wolverines OC Campbell made a blunt admission on their preparation for this clash.
Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on during warm-up before a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on September 28, 2024 in East Lansing, Michigan.
“Going into the game plan, we’ve studied them 365 days a year,” Campbell said, via On3. “So we have a good feel of what they’re going to do and how they want to do it. We meticulously put plays in the game plan throughout the season to try to play off them for when we play them.
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Ryan Day heats up Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry with bold statement ahead of 'The Game'
“So it’s going to be part of what we do, part of what they don’t think we can do, and what we’re going to be able to execute really well that we’ve had in our back pocket for a while.”
Ryan Day’s bold statement ahead of ‘The Game’
The sentiment around this year’s meeting between the historic rivals in the NCAA is that Ohio State has much more to lose than Michigan. On the contrary, Michigan has everything to win.
Ohio State faces a must-win situation. The Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day issued a very bold statement setting the tone for his team ahead of Michigan’s visit to the Shoe.
“We’ve felt what it’s like to not win this game, and it’s bad,” Day commented. “It’s one of the worst things that’s happened to me in my life, quite honestly. Other than losing my father, and a few other things. So, we can never have that happen.”
