On November 30 the Ohio State Buckeyes will host the Michigan Wolverines at The Shoe. The environment will be anything but friendly towards the program from the Great Lakes State. Ahead of the upcoming litmus test, head coach Ryan Day threw fuel to the fire with a firm statement on the matchup.
The final week of league play in the NCAA is always crucial. Every game carries weight, and for many teams, everything is at stake. This is rivalry week. Yet, one match rises above all others. Its roots run so deep that it transcends being just a game—it’s ‘The Game’.
The rivalry dates back to their first meeting in 1897. Since then, the two programs have faced each other 119 times. Michigan leads the all-time series 61-51-6. Though they can’t stand their counterparts, they never tire of the competition. A walk around campus in Columbus during rivalry week tells you all you need to know as every ‘M’ is covered up.
Though Michigan is no longer the dominant team that was crowned national champion in January, Ohio State knows better than to underestimate their historic enemy. Ahead of the game on Saturday, Day issued a strong message on what this game means.
Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio.
“We’ve felt what it’s like to not win this game, and it’s bad. 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,” Day stated, per On3. “So, we can never have that happen.”
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Ryan Day was appointed head coach of the Buckeyes ahead of the 2019 season. During his first year in Columbus he had his first glimpse of what ‘The Game’ means for both sides. Day and Ohio State defeated Michigan categorically in 2019 by a final score of 56-27. Since, the coach hasn’t forgotten his first taste of triumph, but he has failed to replicate it.
The Buckeyes under Day drag a three-game losing streak against the Wolverines. Three consecutive losses in 2021, 2022, and 2023 have made this year’s matchup a must-win for Ohio State.
The program is currently ranked second in the nation and virtually clinched a berth in the College Football Playoffs, but a shocking loss at home to the irregular Wolverines could change that in a blink of an eye.
Moreover, the Buckeyes need the win to secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship game. If they fall to Michigan for the fourth consecutive season, their place might be taken away by Indiana or Penn State.
Heading into Saturday’s marquee matchup, the sentiment around ‘The Game’ is that Michigan has nothing to lose, while Ohio State has everything at stake. Only time will tell if that dynamic plays out on the gridiron.
