Ohio State head coach Ryan Day arguably had more right to celebrate than anyone else on Saturday after a 27-9 win over No. 15 Michigan.
Day had been under fire for not beating the Wolverines in the rivalry simply known as “The Game.” Ohio State last did it in 2019, and last year’s loss haunted Day and company all the way through the College Football Playoff national championship run.
“I’ve thought, as you can imagine, over the years, what I’d say in this press conference,” Day told reporters afterward. “I’m going to save all those comments because I think the best thing to do is win with humility… We wanted to take this rivalry game back this year.”
His top-ranked Buckeyes (12-0) did just that with 419 yards of total offense led by quarterback Julian Sayin and running back Bo Jackson. The Buckeyes defense meanwhile held the Wolverines to 163 total yards for the game and no points in the second half.
“I’m happy for our players, I’m happy for the coaches and all the fans who were at the game. It was great to see all the fans stay all the way toward the end and cheer on our team,” Day said.
Buckeyes players leapt up the Big House walls to greet fans afterward, while Michigan players guarded the middle of the field to apparently avoid a flag planting. Michigan planted a flag in the middle of the field at Ohio State last year, which resulted in a brawl.
‘Build-Up’ All Year
Ohio State-Michigan being one of the biggest rivalries in sports, in ways overshadowed what the Buckeyes did last winter — winning the national championship in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
That said, Day’s Buckeyes went 15-0 going into Saturday’s game since the Michigan loss last year. Day couldn’t deny how much that defeat and the fan base’s response haunted him despite the Buckeyes sitting at the mountaintop of college football.
“It was a build-up all year, and man, our guys really captured the moment and played great,” Day said.
After Ohio State’s win in 2019, Michigan won in 2021 at the Big House to end a decade-long drought. The Wolverine went on to win the next three contests, including a 13-10 upset last year when unranked.
“To tell you the last four years have been easy is not true,” Day said. “When you don’t accomplish those things, you take it personally. To win this game, it’s just a great moment. It’s one of those moments that you want to grab on for a while and just enjoy it.”
Ryan Day Just Just Knew
Leading 10-9 in the second quarter, Ohio State appeared to be in a dogfight with the Wolverines.
That started to change when Sayin led an 11-play, 87-yard scoring drive to grab a 17-9 lead. Sayin capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Inniss.
Ohio State then took control in the second half when Sayin found Carnell Tate on a 50-yard touchdown pass for a 24-9 lead in the third quarter. The Buckeyes put the game further out of reach with a field goal by Jayden Fielding in the fourth quarter, and the defense squashed any hope Michigan had with no drive going more than seven plays or 29 yards.
“I don’t think there was any doubt when we walked into the stadium what was going to happen,” Day said.
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