It’s been 2,087 days since Ohio State last beat Michigan, and that fact is never far from Ryan Day’s mind. The countdown clock has been ticking inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center since that inexcusable loss last November, a reminder that recent matchups have been defined more by frustration than anticipation.
Michigan was hit Friday with sweeping NCAA sanctions that validate the Buckeyes’ long-held suspicions of sign-stealing by their rival. Still, the losing streak remains, and the pressure on Day to end it only grows as the new season approaches.
At Big Ten Media Days in July, Day was asked a simple question: How do you beat Michigan? After a brief stumble over his words, the response was blunt.
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“Score more points than ’em.”
It sounded flippant, maybe even awkward. But Day understands the truth: at Ohio State, one loss to Michigan can overshadow everything else. Last season’s playoff run proved it. The Buckeyes won the national championship, yet the loss to the Wolverines shapes how the season is remembered.
Day still has a Michigan problem.
His record against all other opponents is nearly flawless: 69-6 (.920) across six seasons, including three wins as acting coach in 2018. Ending the decade-long national championship drought restored Ohio State’s place atop college football. Yet until he breaks the four-game losing streak to Michigan, the weight on Day won’t fully lift.
And now that burden has only grown heavier. The penalties against Michigan all but confirm what Ohio State always suspected, but they feel hollow and certainly don’t erase the memory of being outplayed while feeling cheated. Wins weren’t vacated, including the 2022 blowout the Buckeyes believe was tainted, and Michigan’s 2023 national championship remains intact.
The record book still tells the same story: four consecutive losses.
For Day, the irony cuts deep. No fine, penalty or NCAA ruling eases the tension. This isn’t just another rivalry — it’s The Game, one that defines Ohio State coaches as much as trophies or titles.
The losing streak also places Day in historical context, showing just how rare this start has been. He joins John Cooper as the only Buckeyes coach since the Woody Hayes era to win fewer than two of his first five games against Michigan.
Ohio State coach records vs. Michigan:
- Ryan Day (2019-present): 1-4
- Urban Meyer (2012-2018): 7-0
- Jim Tressel (2001-2010): 9-1
- John Cooper (1988-2000): 2-10-1
- Earle Bruce (1979-1987): 5-4
- Woody Hayes (1951-1978): 16-11-1
After last year’s loss to Michigan, Day and his family endured harassment and death threats, prompting them to hire private security at their home, his wife, Nina, told The Columbus Dispatch following Ohio State’s national championship. Social media messages targeted Day and even his 16-year-old son.
The scrutiny — dissecting every formation and in-game decision — underscores just how seriously Ohio State takes the Wolverines. As Nina Day put it, “It got to a point where, ‘What are we doing here?’ … It’s very disappointing to me what some people are capable of.”
So as Ohio State opens its season Aug. 30 against No. 1 Texas, excitement buzzes in Columbus, but the shadow of Michigan stretches across every snap and every play call.
If Day can finally topple the Wolverines in November, it won’t just be a win. It will be a reclamation of pride, a turning point in his tenure and a long-overdue rewrite of Ohio State’s narrative
Fail again, and even last season’s national championship — a triumph that should define his legacy — risks being eclipsed.
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