From The Athletic: Ryan Day’s Michigan problem is so much worse than Ohio State and its fans could have ever feared. For the fourth straight year, the Buckeyes folded under pressure against their rival.

From The Athletic: Ryan Day’s Michigan problem is so much worse than Ohio State and its fans could have ever feared. For the fourth straight year, the Buckeyes folded under pressure against their rival.

From The Athletic: Ryan Day’s Michigan problem is so much worse than Ohio State and its fans could have ever feared. For the fourth straight year, the Buckeyes folded under pressure against their rival.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s become an annual cliche from Ryan Day when he says the keys to beating Michigan are running the ball and winning the turnover battle.

He said it last year after Ohio State lost in Ann Arbor. He said it again after Saturday’s 13-10 loss to Michigan, his fourth in a row in the rivalry and one of the biggest upsets in series history.
“We have to run the ball, especially in this game,” said Day, who’s now 1-4 against the Wolverines. “We weren’t able to do that. We tried a couple different schemes, couldn’t quite get into a rhythm on that, and that ultimately, along with turnovers and missed field goals, was the difference in the game.”

Day has known that’s the case for four years. Yet each year, Ohio State gets into The Game against Michigan and folds under the pressure of the moment and the physicality of the Wolverines.  In 2021, Ohio State lost 42-27. In 2022, it was outscored 28-3 in the second half and gave up 252 rushing yards in a 45-23 loss. In 2023, Michigan was still the better team and ran for 156 yards on an improved Ohio State defense in a 30-24 Buckeyes loss.

The 2024 season was supposed to be different. It was indeed different for Ohio State on defense, but the offense, which is the brainchild of Day, faltered yet again.  Yes, the offensive line had a mountain of injuries to overcome, but Ohio State spent the entire year trying to become more unpredictable and versatile under new coordinator Chip Kelly, only for it to score 10 points and have 77 rushing yards against a middling Michigan team. It was the fewest points Ohio State has scored against an unranked team since 2011, when it lost 10-7 to Michigan State.

It’s Day’s first loss to an unranked opponent. It’s Michigan’s only ranked win in a seven-win season. It was an unacceptable and inexcusable performance by Day, one that ended Ohio State’s chances of a Big Ten championship and first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State didn’t look prepared on offense and was outcoached by Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. And if the result wasn’t enough evidence that Ohio State has a mental block against Michigan, the brawl afterward put an exclamation point on it.

Ohio State’s loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl last year didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of the program. The loss to Michigan that knocked the Buckeyes out of Playoff contention was the biggest game of the season, and Day left the game knowing things needed to change. There were discussions behind the scenes by players about returning for one more year to beat Michigan. Ohio State went all in on that, bringing back 11 key seniors — including Jack Sawyer, who took the Michigan flag during the postgame brawl. It also added standout safety Caleb Downs (Alabama) in the transfer portal, along with quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State), center Seth McLaughlin (Alabama) and running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss).