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It was always about this moment, anyway.
Not an October prove-it game that may or may not mean anything by the time December rolls around.
Not another speed bump of a November contender who believed they’d figured it out, or a pretender in October that barely scratched two yards on four plays from the 3.
This season was about Michigan for Ohio State and coach Ryan Day. There are jobs – and the looming financial NIL arms race between the schools – on the line.
“It all leads to this,” Day says. “Everything you do, and the decisions you make, lead up to this game.”
Day has tried nearly everything to break a three-game losing streak to Michigan, to turn around a rivalry that was once so one-sided in favor of Ohio State, Michigan’s only win since 2004 was against a Buckeyes interim coach.
He fired a defensive coordinator. He fired a quarterback. He hired a sitting Power Four conference coach as offensive coordinator to revamp his wildly successful offense — to develop “toughness” and “attitude.”
He bought the best running back (Quinshon Judkins) and safety (Caleb Downs) in college football this offseason from the transfer portal, and outbid everyone for his starting quarterback (Will Howard).
All in the name of not just beating Michigan, but becoming more like the Wolverines.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day reacts to a call during his team’s game against Oregon at Autzen Stadium.
Yet here’s the most intriguing aspect of this rare rivalry, this disgust between universities that includes snitching on each other to the NCAA (hello, Connor Stalions and Jim Tressel): the hate will only get worse moving forward.
Now that Michigan has finally figured out the only way to keep pace with Ohio State is to play the give until it hurts game, the financial gloves are off in the NIL and free player movement world….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/break-ryan-day-ohio-state-101342279.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-29 10:13:00
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