Ryan Day has gotten a whole lot of flak over his tenure at Ohio State for not profitable The Sport. In fact, Day had received it in his first 12 months, however since that first win, Michigan had turned the tables on what was a lopsided rivalry within the 2010s. Michigan appeared to win every sport by being the more durable workforce, pulling away late after carrying you down with onerous, bodily runs for the primary three quarters.
2025 began like a repeat of previous sins, with Michigan scoring on its first drive by ripping off chunk performs on the bottom. Then Julian Sayin adopted that up with a horrible interception, attempting to hit Jeremiah Smith in double protection. Over the previous few years, Michigan would’ve rolled that momentum to an in depth win — however this Ohio State workforce is totally completely different.
Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith weren’t forgotten this 12 months, as Day was capable of lean on his sure-handed receivers to select up important first downs and hold the Buckeyes on schedule all sport lengthy. Extra importantly, they had been capable of unfold out the Michigan defensive position, which allowed Bo Jackson to have the sport of his freshman 12 months, totaling 166 mixed yards of offense.
One of many largest criticisms of Day was that he wasn’t keen to lean on his passing sport when Michigan’s defensive entrance took over in The Shoe final 12 months. He realized from these errors, but in addition didn’t stray away from the sluggish, methodical offense that has led them to an undefeated look within the Massive Ten Championship.
He took an enormous shot to Smith on 4th down when the sport felt shaky, after which on the finish of the half, when Ohio State couldn’t end on the bottom on the objective line once more, Day trusted Sayin and Brandon Inniss on a fast hook route over the center to provide the Buckeyes respiration room earlier than the half. These varieties of performs have gone towards Ohio State each time since 2021, and as we speak they confirmed why they had been considerably higher than a mean Michigan workforce.
Most significantly, whenever you’re speaking about Ohio State this 12 months, you need to reward this protection. They had been in bend-but-don’t-break mode within the first half, and within the second half, they turned the ’85 Bears. Michigan ran solely 18 performs within the second half and held the ball for six:20 of sport time. The Michigan offense had no solutions for the playmakers in white, and on offense, Day adopted the Jim Harbaugh script, bleeding the sport dry to drag out the win.
This Ohio State workforce is clearly one of the best within the nation, however they’ll have their largest take a look at of the 12 months towards Indiana. Will the protection be capable to decelerate one of the best offense within the nation? If as we speak was any preview of that matchup, then I definitely suppose they may.
