Nick Saban Explains Why Loss to Michigan Could Help Ohio State Win Championship

Could the loss to Michigan have been a blessing in disguise?

ESPN analyst Nick Saban / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The sky appeared to be falling for Ohio State when the Buckeyes lost to Michigan at the end of the regular season. Ohio State had lost just one game before their home matchup against a Michigan team in transition, but fell 13-10 to the Wolverines, their bitter rivals.

To former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, the loss to Michigan might have been the best thing for the Buckeyes, who are the current favorite to win the College Football Playoff national championship.

"I think Ohio State has got a complete team," Saban said on ESPN’s College GameDay. "I think like many of our teams, we had seven national champions, only two of them went undefeated. Sometimes you need to lose. We won 19 games in a row twice and we needed to lose because the focus is not there, the preparation is not there. When they lost to Michigan, they got humiliated. That humiliation created a tremendous amount of motivation and attention to detail for them and their players came together. I think they're playing great football.

.@PatMcAfeeShow and Nick Saban talk about how Ohio State has responded to its loss to Michigan and how it's motivated the Buckeyes during their CFP run 💪 pic.twitter.com/ZGEMK2orTv

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 9, 2025

Though Ohio State wasn't undefeated heading into their game against Michigan, their only prior loss came by one point at the hands of a great Oregon team. Outside of that loss, Ohio State cruised through their regular season schedule. The loss to Michigan appears to have awakened Ohio State up before the CFP.

Since losing to Michigan, Ohio State has dominated in their two CFP games. They dropped 42 points in the opening round against Tennessee, and then scored 41 points over Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State absolutely crushed Oregon, taking a 34-8 halftime lead against an opponent that was undefeated and the No. 1 ranked team in the country leading into the game. The Buckeyes will look to carry that momentum into their game against Texas in the CFP Semifinals. If Ohio State goes on to win the title, one of their worst moments of the season could turn out to be the motivation they needed.

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