Ryan Day explains the pressure of losing to Michigan football… twice… in a row

In 2020, it seemed that Michigan football was light years behind the Ohio State Buckeyes, who had won the past eight matchups against the Maize and Blue, as well as numerous Big Ten titles and a national championship in 2015. In 2019, Ryan Day took over as head coach in place of Urban Meyer; since then, the rivalry has turned. He is 1-2 against Michigan and 1-3 in the College Football Playoff.

Recently, in an interview with ESPN, Ryan Day talked about the pressure and lows that come with losing to the Michigan Wolverines… twice… in a row.

Ryan Day is under loads of pressure following losses to Michigan football in 2021 and 2022

Ryan Day has accomplished something that no Ohio State coach can do without facing scrutiny from the national media and the Buckeyes’ fanbase: he lost to Michigan. In 2022, he repeated this feat, with Day’s team falling short against the Wolverines by 22 points in their own stadium. Recently, Ohio State’s coach shared his thoughts on the Buckeyes’ recent failure in the world’s biggest sports rivalry.

“The expectation here every year is the same,” Ryan Day said. “Win the rivalry game, win the Big Ten and win the national championship. We fight like heck to do that and we’re right there. You can feel it, you can taste it, and that’s motivated the guys this offseason. When you get that close and you don’t get there, you didn’t get it done. And it certainly does motivate … When you lose there’s damage control.”

Jim Harbaugh, the Michigan Wolverines turns the tide of their rivalry against the Ohio State Buckeyes

Over the past two decades, few programs have exhibited the level of focus and preparation seen in the Ohio State Buckeyes, particularly when facing off against the Michigan Wolverines. When Jim Harbaugh assumed the head coaching position in 2015, there were expectations that the rivalry might swiftly shift in favor of the Wolverines. However, this was not the case, as the Buckeyes secured five consecutive victories against Harbaugh’s Michigan teams.

Urban Meyer boasted an impeccable 7-0 record against Michigan football, including a national title win in 2015. When Ryan Day assumed the head coaching role in 2019, it seemed that the Buckeyes’ success would persist. They embarked on a flawless 13-0 run heading into the College Football Playoff (CFP), with a resounding 56-27 triumph in Ann Arbor. Despite their accomplishments, they narrowly fell short against Clemson. Day’s team continued to dominate the Big Ten in 2020, even humiliating Clemson in the CFP before succumbing to Alabama in the championship game.

However, in 2021, Jim Harbaugh and his Wolverines seemed to alter the landscape of the Big Ten conference with a monumental victory over Ohio State and a commanding 42-3 triumph over the Hawkeyes in the conference title game. Last season, Michigan football once again achieved a similar feat, defeating the Buckeyes by a margin of 22 points in Ohio State’s own stadium.

In 2023, Jim Harbaugh has a chance to make it three-in-a-row in front of a sold out Michigan Stadium in Week 13 of the season. With a lot at stake for both programs this fall, expect another battle between these two Big Ten giants.

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