When a man takes the reins of a blue-blood college football program like Ohio State, the expectations are Everest-high. Every autumn Saturday comes with pressure, scrutiny, and legacy-defining moments. For Ryan Day, who succeeded Urban Meyer in 2019 as head coach of the Buckeyes, the microscope has been especially sharp. He took over a machine that had been humming along at championship levels, with a fan base that didn’t merely hope to win—they expected it. And while national titles are, of course, the ultimate prize, CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate recently delivered a truth that rings louder in Columbus than perhaps anywhere else in the country: Ryan Day’s most important job isn’t hoisting the College Football Playoff trophy. It’s beating Michigan.
It might seem counterintuitive in the era of playoff berths, NIL deals, and transfer portal maneuvers to assert that one game—played in late November—could outweigh a national championship. But anyone who has ever understood the blood-feud that is Ohio State vs. Michigan knows that this rivalry is not merely a tradition. It’s an identity. Pate’s assertion strikes a nerve not because it’s outrageous, but because it’s uncomfortably accurate. At Ohio State, you can have 11 wins, a playoff appearance, and a Heisman finalist. But if that one loss came at the hands of the Wolverines, the season is viewed as a failure. And for Ryan Day, three such failures in a row have put him on the razor’s edge of Buckeye fandom’s patience.
When Day took over the Ohio State program, he was seen as a sharp offensive mind, a coach who could maintain the excellence Urban Meyer had re-established. In his first full season in 2019, he did exactly that—guiding the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record, a Big Ten title, and a narrow loss in the College Football Playoff semifinal to Clemson. That year, there was no showdown with Michigan due to the pandemic cancelling The Game in 2020. Then came 2021, and the narrative began to shift.
Ohio State was a top-five team. C.J. Stroud was ascending. Michigan was reeling from years of disappointment under Jim Harbaugh. The Buckeyes traveled to Ann Arbor expecting to extend their dominance in the rivalry. But what unfolded was a physical dismantling. Michigan ran the ball down Ohio State’s throat. They controlled the line of scrimmage, out-toughed their archrival, and celebrated a cathartic 42-27 victory. That loss rattled the Buckeye faithful. For the first time in a decade, they had been humbled.
In 2022, the rematch came in Columbus. Surely, with a year of adjustments, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes would be prepared to reclaim the rivalry. Once again, they came out with fire, but it faded quickly. Michigan scored 28 second-half points, gashing the Buckeyes with explosive plays and exposing a defense that couldn’t contain J.J. McCarthy or Donovan Edwards. The 45-23 drubbing stunned the crowd at the Horseshoe. Two years in a row. At home. That wasn’t just a loss—it was a warning shot.
Then came 2023, and the most pressure-packed edition of The Game yet for Day. With both teams undefeated, a playoff spot, Big Ten title berth, and rivalry bragging rights were all on the line. It was close. It was tense. It came down to a final drive. And once again, Ohio State fell short. 30-24. Three in a row. A fan base that once scoffed at the notion of parity with Michigan was now choking on the reality that the rivalry was slipping away. In the past, it was Michigan coaches who were fired for losing this game. Now, some Buckeye fans began to ask if Ryan Day could survive another failure in The Game.
Josh Pate wasn’t stoking controversy when he said Day’s top priority has to be beating Michigan—he was echoing the unspoken truth that’s always governed this rivalry. Woody Hayes once famously said he’d “punch his mother” to beat Michigan. He lost only five times to them in nearly three decades. John Cooper, by contrast, had a winning percentage over 70% at Ohio State but went just 2-10-1 against the Wolverines and was ultimately ousted because of it. This isn’t hyperbole. The legacy of an Ohio State coach hinges on what happens the last Saturday of November.
Beating Michigan isn’t just about pride—it’s the gateway to everything else. When Ohio State owns The Game, they often win the Big Ten, reach the playoff, and contend for national titles. But when they don’t, the pathway narrows. Losing to Michigan doesn’t just sting—it reshapes the entire narrative of a season. No matter how talented the roster or how dynamic the offense, the Wolverines have become the litmus test. And for Ryan Day, a 1-3 record against them is the biggest blot on an otherwise stellar coaching résumé.
Day is 56-8 overall. He’s produced multiple first-round quarterbacks, consistently top-five recruiting classes, and elite-level scoring offenses. He’s made the College Football Playoff twice. And yet, despite all that, he’s become the target of unrest. Why? Because those eight losses include three to Michigan. Because those three Michigan losses feel more significant than the other 56 wins combined. That’s the paradox of coaching at Ohio State: success is expected, and failure in The Game outweighs almost everything else.
It’s not that national championships don’t matter—they do. They are the ultimate goal. But within the Buckeye program, there’s a hierarchy of failure. Losing in a semifinal after beating Michigan is more palatable than missing the playoff entirely because you lost to Michigan. That’s the painful truth. And it’s one Day is now forced to carry into every recruiting visit, every spring practice, every media session.
It’s also the reason this upcoming season feels like a career inflection point for him. There’s a belief that this 2025 Ohio State team might be the most talented he’s coached. Transfer portal additions have strengthened the roster. The defense, under Jim Knowles, is poised to be elite. Quarterback Will Howard, the Kansas State transfer, brings experience and toughness. The offensive weapons are loaded. The window is open. But all roads still lead to Ann Arbor.
Ryan Day knows it. His players know it. And so does everyone in the Big Ten. The obsession with Michigan isn’t something to be embarrassed by—it’s a reality embedded in Ohio State’s DNA. Every decision Day makes, from hiring assistants to game-planning in October, carries with it the silent question: will this beat Michigan?
To his credit, Day has embraced the pressure rather than run from it. He’s spoken openly about the need to “own the rivalry,” about how preparation must happen year-round. He’s altered strength programs and adjusted the defensive staff with Michigan in mind. He understands that this is not just a game—it’s the game. And until he flips the script, every win will be shadowed by that one loss.
There’s also the emotional weight of the rivalry. Every Ohio native grows up with stories of the 10-Year War, of the legendary battles between Hayes and Schembechler. It’s more than football. It’s generational, it’s personal. And for Day—who isn’t a Buckeye by birth, but has become one in spirit—there’s added pressure to prove he understands the stakes. He’s not just coaching for wins. He’s coaching for history.
There’s still time for redemption. One win can shift the narrative. One emphatic performance against Michigan can erase years of doubt. Just ask Jim Harbaugh. Before 2021, he was considered the man who couldn’t win The Game. Then he won three straight, and left the program as a hero. That same opportunity exists for Day. But the margin for error is gone. Another loss to Michigan—especially in a year with a loaded roster—might not just burn fan goodwill. It might cost him his job.
That’s the irony of greatness at Ohio State. You can win nearly every game, send players to the NFL in droves, and dominate your division. But lose the wrong game, and all of that fades. Josh Pate simply voiced what Ohio State fans have known for decades: in Columbus, the standard is beating Michigan. National titles are the goal, but Michigan is the gatekeeper. And until Ryan Day reclaims that gate, nothing else will feel like progress.
In the end, college football is built on emotion, on loyalty, and on the unexplainable gravity of rivalry. It’s why “The Game” isn’t just a rivalry—it’s the heartbeat of a program. Ryan Day might be many things—a brilliant tactician, a relentless recruiter, a proven winner. But until he beats Michigan again, he will always be the man chasing a ghost.
