'They hate us, we hate them': Veteran Buckeyes desperate for first win over Michigan

Chris Breiler, Matt Lounsberry | Jul 23, 2024

Nov. 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Mi., USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Colston Loveland (18) and Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Steele Chambers (22) meet on the field as Wolverine fans celebrate a 20-24 win following Saturday s NCAA Division I football game at Michigan Stadium. / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch /

Ohio State was the headliner for Day 1 of Big Ten Media Days, and the veteran Buckeyes in attendance fielded several questions about their recent lack of success against Michigan. Head coach Ryan Day is now just 1-3 against the Wolverines, and there's rumblings that there could be an effort to push him out if he doesn't take care of business against the team up north this November when the two programs meet in Columbus.

Much like Michigan in 2023, the Buckeyes are returning a lot of veteran talent in 2024. Although the ultimate goal is to win a National Championship, it's clear that the lack of success against Michigan played a huge role in their decision to return for one more season.

During his time at the podium, senior defensive end Jack Sawyer made it clear that getting his first win against Michigan is a top priority.

"I felt like I let not only Ryan Day down, but the city down."

Jack Sawyer said he wasn't leaving without having one more shot at Gold Pants, with every goal going through that game in November.

He finished with "they hate us, we hate them, that's how we want it to be" pic.twitter.com/BfkqXI8iNp

— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) July 23, 2024

"I think for me, being the type of guy I am, I think naturally I felt like I let not only Ryan Day down, but I let the city down," Sawyer said. "So for me, it's all about coming back and a lot of us... we all feel the same way too. We weren't going to leave here without having one more shot at doing this the right way, and leaving here better than what we came here for. I'd be lying if I told you it didn't burn a fire inside of us. Definitely something that we think about, and we know what's at stake when we play those guys. All of our goals and aspirations for the season rides on that one game in November. They hate us, we hate them. That's the way it's got to be, that's the way we want it to be. That's what makes that rivalry so fun, and we're just looking forward to that game this year."

Senior wideout Emeka Egbuka shared similar thoughts on his decision to return for one more season.

"That's always a game that you want to win when you come to Ohio State," Egbuka said. And that's something that we seniors know all too well because we haven't done it once. So you can't really leave without gold pants.

"There was a period where it was like 8 years for them. So I mean, this rivalry goes back and forth. They found a way to bounce back after... I dont know how long the stretch was. So it's the same way, we're going to find a way to bounce back. It's gritty, it's a hard game. It's going to be hard every single year. It doesn't matter if they don't have the talent per se and we do have the talent. It's going to be a hard game every year."

Veteran defensive back Denzel Burke, a guy who's also winless against Michigan heading into his senior year, echoed the same sentiment.

"Every part of it honestly," Burke said when asked about how much Michigan factored into his decision. "No gold pants, no natty. That was a big part of one of the reasons we came back. We're all on the same page, and we've got to win every single game. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."