NFL-Bound Buckeyes Still Can’t Escape Discussing Their Loss to Michigan

Former Ohio State Buckeyes Will Howard and Jack Sawyer, both of whom have lost to Michigan in every game they’ve played against the Wolverines, have attempted to downplay the Wolverines’ absolute domination of Ohio State this season, of course, to no avail. Unfortunately, both of the Pittsburgh Steelers rookies are only kidding themselves.

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Sawyer and Howard appeared on former Steeler Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast “Footbahlin’” to discuss their college careers and what they hope to accomplish at the next level. According to Eleven Warriors, Roethlisberger asked them the question that has been music to Wolverines’ ears nationwide.

Jack Sawyer Continues Licking His Wounds on Roethlisberger’s Podcast

When Roethlisberger asked, “Is it OK to lose to Michigan and win a national championship, or would you rather beat Michigan and not win a national championship?” Will Howard and Jack Sawyer said what any Buckeye who has gone 0-4 (or in Howard’s case 0-1) against the Wolverines would say: “Winning a national championship.”

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Sawyer continued: “In a perfect world, you do both of those things, but obviously we didn’t. But winning a national championship kind of erases all of that.” Emphasis on the ‘obviously we didn’t,’ one imagines Sawyer was talking through gritted teeth; in the wake of getting drafted to the NFL, moving on to the next level alongside your quarterback and teammate, and appearing as a guest on the podcast of one of your new team’s greatest legends, Sawyer is still having to talk about his loss (losses, if I may remind you, there were four of them) to Michigan.

Just Because They Couldn’t Do It Doesn’t Mean No One Can

When you simply can’t shake the topic even in a setting like that, your national championship win clearly doesn’t qualify as ‘erasure’ of your loss to Michigan, now does it? The blissful interview reminds me of an instantly classic meme, pictured below, lest anyone forget that the seemingly impossible feat of winning The Game and a National Championship in the same season is actually very achievable:

Image credit: @bluebyninety

Clearly such a feat takes more skill than Ryan Day, who has yet to “Hang 100 on [Michigan]” since his vow to do so in 2020, is capable of; the Buckeyes’ head coach is still sitting at a combined 84 points hung on Michigan since making that promise. For Jack Sawyer and Will Howard, even if their head coach is able to make good on his promise five years later, they won’t be around to see it. The pair will forever be winless against Michigan, without a single pair of gold pants to show for their time in the scarlet and gray.

Because the Ohio State Football account still has yet to officially announce the final score of The Game in 2024, it was 13-10, Wolverines. Just in case you were wondering—no such thing as overstating that score.

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