‘It’s The Truth!’ Ohio State’s Ryan Day Gets Honest About Michigan Rivalry

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 1-3 against the Michigan Wolverines in the Ryan Day era.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day leads his team in warmups prior to their game against Michigan at Michigan Stadium. / Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day met with the media Tuesday to help preview the upcoming season. He and the coaching staff have revamped the roster in a major way this offseason, which has brought even heavier championship-worthy pressure to Columbus. 

But if Ohio State can’t get over its Ann Arbor-sized hump, all of that work could prove futile.

Day didn’t hesitate to admit that there’s no added pressure this season despite three straight losses to the Michigan Wolverines, but clarified that the expectations are against OSU’s heated rival no matter the scenario. 

“It’s just the truth,” Day said. “At my (introductory) press conference, I said you’ve got to beat the ‘Team Up North’ and win every game other than that. When you come up short, you’ve got to figure out a way to get those things fixed. I think we have done that. … But the expectations are the same every year. The pressure’s the same every year. I just like the pressure when you’ve got a really good team behind you. That’s what we’ve got right now.”

The one thorn in the side of OSU during the Day era has been the Wolverines, who used a third straight win over the Buckeyes this past November as a springboard to a win in the National Championship over Washington. Instead of competing for a Big Ten title and a potential berth in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State found itself out of the running for both after that crushing loss.

Under Day, Ohio State is 1-3 against Michigan. 

However, with coach Jim Harbaugh and multiple big-name stars now gone, the Wolverines are an uncertainty entering next season under first-year head coach Sheronne Moore.

Ohio State hosts Michigan in the regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 30. If the Buckeyes fall once again, their CFP hopes won’t necessarily be dashed due to the inaugural season of the 12-team format, but it would certainly raise more questions about Day and his tenure in Columbus.