Companies selling OSU’s 2025 Natty win memorabilia shouldn’t be too surprised if they start getting orders from Ann Arbor as well. Some of these commemorative football shirts include the results of all the games the newly crowned champions played in order to reach the very top. Those results include two losses: The first against Oregon Ducks and the second one against their biggest rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. So fans (or rivals) ordering the Ohio State Championship commemorative gear will also receive a piece of rivalry history.

Remember when a visibly emotional Ryan Day had said, “It’s one of the worst things that’s happened to me in my life, quite honestly, other than losing my father and a few other things”? His words captured the magnitude of the defeat to Michigan. However, after Ohio State finally won the championship, many Michigan supporters were left frustrated. They think their side deserves the spotlight.

And Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti only made it worse. As evident, the rivalry goes way back. But one of the most recent incidents includes a situation where both teams faced repercussions last month. In December, after winning the game, Michigan’s players ran to place the Michigan flag on the Ohio State logo on the field, which led to a brawl, and both sides were fined for this. But now, a controversial statement by Petitti has brought this rivalry into the limelight once again.

‘The Score’ official Instagram handle posted about the comment of the 7th commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, Tony Petitti. When he was asked if he agreed that Ohio State’s route to a national championship is the greatest in college football history, he responded:

“That’s the greatest run in college football history.”

And no doubt it ignited heat waves among the Michigan fans. You see, Michigan won last year’s championship without losing a single game, unlike Ohio State, which lost two this season.

Ohio State lost against Oregon 31-32 and rival Michigan by 10-13. However, in 2023, the Michigan Wolverines football team won the College Football Playoff National Championship with a 15–0 record. So Michigan fans are demanding justice for Jim Harbaugh. They feel Petitti’s statements are biased, considering their team had a better run last year.

Harbaugh was the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and according to Toni Petitti’s statement, his efforts seem to be in vain.

“Not even top 5”: Michigan fans won’t accept Toni Petitti’s statement!

Most fans, notably those from Michigan, felt that their team’s success was being unfairly overlooked. One fan commented:

• “Losing at home to your bitter rival, who is 8-5, is part of the greatest run?”

It was a stark reminder to Ohio State. They lost to their biggest rivals at home. But Ohio State had three goals this year: Defeating Michigan, winning the Big Ten, and winning a National Championship. In this scenario, it doesn’t seem like a failure of a season, does it? There’s more to college football than just beating a rival. But, wait!

Is that why Michigan fans are mad? The best feeling is to defeat your rivals and also win the championship—something the Wolverines achieved last year. More social media users stated:

• “2019 LSU and 2023 Michigan are better.”
• “Not even top 5.”

But Ohio, too, did the unthinkable. In each of the Buckeyes’ previous eight national championship seasons, they always defeated Michigan during the regular season, unlike this season. Here’s the thing: Back in the day, even a single loss could have meant a team could be eliminated from being voted atop one of the major national polls.

The discussion about whether Ohio State has earned one of the best rankings of the season is still going on. But what we can say for sure is that coach Ryan Day is proud. “After all the things that have been said throughout the year, these guys are going to be cemented as one of the best stories in Ohio State history and one of the best football teams ever,” Day said after their win.

“There was a point where not a lot of people had that vision, but these guys did, and they saw it through. Ohio State may not be for everybody, but it’s for these guys.”

But Michigan fans might not agree. They stated:

• “What’s crazy is that. Not even close to their best team from the past decade!!”
• “Michigan’s run is way more legit.”

What are your thoughts about the Ohio State and Michigan rivalry? Let us know your thoughts about this controversy in the comment section below.