Column: No, Ryan Day didn't have a Jim Harbaugh problem -- it's a Michigan problem

Trent Knoop | 3 Hours Ago

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For those who follow along or listen to us over on The Winged Helmet podcast, they know that I live in Ohio and I know plenty of Ohio State fans. Prior to Saturday's game between Michigan and Ohio State, I had one fan tell me: 'Let's be honest, Ryan Day doesn't have a Michigan problem, he had a Jim Harbaugh problem.'

Well, after Michigan's 13-10 win over Ohio State on Saturday, it's painfully obvious that Day didn't just have a Harbaugh problem -- he has a major Michigan issue. Day drops to 1-4 against the Wolverines and his only win coming back in 2019 -- with Urban Meyer's team. Day is a very good head coach and his record speaks for itself. He is 44-1 against the entire Big Ten -- except for Michigan. When you're the head coach at either Ohio State or Michigan, you have one job: Beat your arch-rival. Day has done that one time and Saturday is arguably the worst loss in the rivalries' existence.

Michigan was a 20.5-point underdog against Ohio State which was the largest spread ever between the Buckeyes and Wolverines. Day, for the fourth year in a row, wanted to show just how physical his team was compared to Michigan. Run after run up the middle going up against the duo of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant -- it wouldn't work. Ohio State had one drive on Saturday where it aired the ball out against Michigan's secondary, which worked. The Buckeyes marched down the field in the final two minutes and would go on to score a touchdown, but couldn't return to form in the second. half against a Michigan defense that believed they could beat the Buckeyes.

The week of The Game, Day shared that Ohio State 'had to run' the football against Michigan because that stat usually dictates the winner of the game. And it did so once again. Michigan rushed for 172 yards compared to Ohio State's 77 yards.

Not only did Ohio State get bullied in the trenches for the fourth year in a row, but Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly were outcoached by first-year head coach Sherrone Moore and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. The Michigan defense has been just a shell of what it once was the past three seasons, but what was witnessed on Saturday was a masterclass by Martindale.

Michigan mixed up coverages, blitzes, and flat-out out-smarted the Ohio State coaching staff. The Buckeyes might have had the better roster from top-to-bottom, but Michigan showed heart and just how physical this team is.

After the game, Moore was asked about being tougher than Ohio State.

"That's who we are, so we don't really need to talk about it," Moore said. "We're built. That's how we're built. We don't talk about toughness. We don't talk about that. How we're built in the weight room, what we do on the field, physicality, how we practice. That's just who Michigan is. We don't really need to talk about it."

It's great to have the best roster money can buy and get all the flash in the world, but when push comes to shove and you can't win in the trenches during 20-degree weather -- the flash doesn't matter. Michigan is built of grit and the new Wolverines' coach knows what it takes to beat Ohio State. While Moore was the interim coach last season against Ohio State, he now has coached Michigan to two wins over the Buckeyes and that belief that Michigan can beat the Buckeyes is fully there and will not go away as long as Moore is leading the charge.

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Which leads me to my next point: This is why you don't give up on Moore after one season.

Following a national championship season, the last thing Michigan fans were thinking was a 7-5 season. But maybe expectations were a little high with all that transpired after Michigan's win over Washington. Jim Harbaugh and most of the coaching staff left Ann Arbor for the NFL. A ton of Wolverine stars left for the NFL and Moore was left searching for coaches and talent.

Michigan lost games it shouldn't of. Some due to coaching malpractice like the clock situation against Indiana. While losing games it probably shouldn't have to both Washington and Illinois. But something clicked in the second half against Indiana where the defense went back to being a similar style the past three seasons.

Michigan played its best game of football against Northwestern and then dominated the game against Ohio State -- for the fourth year in a row. On top of beating both rivals, Michigan State and Ohio State, and winning trophy games against Minnesota and Northwestern, Moore is recruiting at an all-time level. The Wolverines are on the cusp of having a top-five recruiting class in his first year at the helm.

Moore led the charge to get the No. 1 player in the country, Bryce Underwood. Michigan accomplished that feat and Underwood is projected to lead the Wolverines in the next three seasons. But on top of that, Moore has helped the Wolverines dig deeper into NIL than ever before.

Being the head coach at the University of Michigan is a tough job. It comes with high expectations and being a College Football Playoff contender should be an every year thing with the new 12-team format. But one thing is for sure, as long as Moore is leading the charge and Ryan Day is at Ohio State, the Wolverines will always believe they can beat the Buckeyes.

Day no longer just has a Harbaugh problem. He now has a Sherrone Moore issue and a full-fledge Michigan problem.

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