Buckeyes Now

‘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.

Matt Galatzan

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

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Matt Galatzan

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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