Almost a year ago at this time, Ohio State entered the Michigan game 10-1 and the number 2-ranked team in the country. They were heavy favorites in the game and expected to win. Michigan entered the game 6-5 and struggled most of the season. In one of the most shocking games in the rivalry’s history, Michigan upset Ohio State 13-10. It was one of the most stunning losses in the history of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. Ohio State rebounded to win four straight college football playoff games and secure a National Championship. The loss to Michigan still lingers around Ohio State and its Head Coach, Ryan Day, as he has not beaten Michigan since 2019.
This season, Ohio State started the season 11-0 and has looked like the most dominant team in College Football, but the season comes down to the Michigan game this Saturday. This game is a legacy-defining moment for Day as he is currently 1-4 against Michigan. You compare that to former head coach Urban Meyer, who was 7-0 against Michigan, and it has been a failure for Day. Now Day’s record is astounding 81-10 as Head Coach, including winning last year’s National Championship, but the Michigan loss lingers around him.
Day says the goals of every Ohio State team are to beat Michigan, win the National Championship, and win the Big Ten. So, if you look at these parameters, he has not been successful since the 2019 season. Furthermore, he hasn’t won the Big Ten Championship since 2020. So even though he has an amazing record and has a National Championship, he has not met the standard of Ohio State by not beating Michigan and winning the Big Ten Championship. He has a chance this season to rectify the situation and win both.
The other big issue against Michigan has been that Ohio State has played tight in those games. You can see the body language of the Ohio State players carrying the weight of these losses on their shoulders. Day needs to let it all go and get his team to play loose and free. Just like they did during the college football playoffs last year. If Day and his players do that this week, they should be able to win the game and finally get that monkey off their backs.
Ryan Day is a great coach who has achieved success at the highest levels of the sport, but he needs to find a way to beat Michigan this year. This will allow the fan base to take a deep breath and move on with their lives. As Head Coach at Ohio State, you need to beat Michigan, and if you do not, then the fan base will eventually be ready to move on you as a coach. Even though Day has won a National Championship and won plenty of big games, his failure to beat Michigan lingers. This is the year to get it done.