If you’re an Ohio State fan, you must’ve nodded along to these epic words from Jeremiah Smith for That Team Up North: “I just hate them.” Sure, the Buckeyes proved why they’re such an elite program by winning the National Championship. Ryan Day proved to college football why he’s one of the best coaches out there, with a shining 70-10 record. But when it came to The Game, Michigan has had the last laugh lately. It’s been some time since the OSU established its dominance against the Wolverines. Unfortunately, it looks like Ryan Day is slated for more misfortune at the hands of the Buckeyes’ worst enemy.

The OSU-Michigan rivalry runs so deep that even the government gets involved. In 2013, Governor John Kasich joined in the tradition of avoiding the letter M in the days that led up to the game. That was when the Buckeyes had a winning streak. Now, it’s That Team Up North that has bragging rights. What bites at Ohio State fans more about the loss is that OSU had the leverage. When it came to that fateful day last year, Michigan was unranked, and Ohio State was well in place for a playoff spot. And, first-year HC Sherrone Moore proved to be better than established HC Ryan Day.

Unfortunately, it looks like his record against Michigan will go up to 1-5 this season. In a July 18 episode of Crain & Company, Michigan expert Isaiah Hole thought that once again, Sherrone Moore would beat Ryan Day. But this time, it will be with his full might. “I still like Michigan’s chances, especially because they should have a better offense,” Hole said. More importantly, it’s the Buckeyes who are lacking in some important places. “They might be suffering — even though it’s not getting talked about enough—from a lot of similar issues that Michigan had last year,” Hole added.

“They come off that National Championship, they lose both coordinators, they lose the starting quarterback, and yeah, you got a new starting quarterback. They lose a ton of talent on the defensive side, right? Like that’s a lot of similar issues,” the analyst added. Ryan Day lost the two centerpieces that orchestrated his run towards the Natty: Chip Kelly and Jim Knowles. And he no longer has Will Howard and Emeka Egbuka on the offense. Day might have a better receiving corps compared to Michigan’s. But on the whole, Ryan Day’s squad has some question marks.

Sherrone Moore, on the other hand, had to fire OC Kirk Campbell. That’s how bad the offense was. And even experimenting with different QBs couldn’t help replicate the success that came during J.J. McCarthy’s reign at Ann Arbor. But this year, Moore has Bryce Underwood, who alone ups Michigan’s offense by a lot. He already has a good bond with new OC Chip Lindsey, and Don Martindale’s productive defense from last year is expected to continue this season as well. It’s uncanny how similar OSU’s 2025 team looks to that fateful Michigan team from 2024.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg named Sherone Moore as OSU’s No. 1 villain this season. Because if Moore pulled off an upset win over the Buckeyes with a poor team, imagine the potential he brings with an improved one. “We think about The Game 365 days a year. So, that game is always on our mind, and it will always stay like that,” Moore said after that triumphant win. What shines glowingly in Sherrone Moore’s career stands like a blot in that of Ryan Day’s. Even winning a National Championship doesn’t quite wash off that bitter reminder.

Ryan Day’s record against Michigan is the biggest hurdle in the path to winning the Big 10’s Coach of the Year. Urban Meyer couldn’t win it even with a clean sweep against the Wolverines during his tenure, so for Ryan Day, it might be a far-fetched idea.

For Ryan Day to win the BIG 10 COTY, he has to defeat Michigan

For Ryan Day to truly seat himself among the legendary coaches of Ohio State, he has to get over the losing-to-Michigan hump. Nicole Auerbach said in a July 10 episode of NBC’s Rushing the Field, “He has to get to the Michigan game. [Nothing] he does in the lead-up to that matters. Texas doesn’t matter. New quarterback, none of that stuff matters until that game. And, you know what, what if Ryan Day wins that game? He kind of should get Big 10 coach of the year.” That’s it for Ryan Day, plain and simple.

“Think about how we’re looking at Ryan Day right now versus how we looked at Ryan Day after they lost to Oregon, after they lost to Michigan last year… The narrative on him was like, really good coach, wins all the games he’s supposed to, but like has not really done well in the big one,” former OSU star Joshua Perry added. Ryan Day has lived up to the expectations that come with being the head coach of such an elite and marquee program. But winning The Game is still an elusive feat for him.

For Ryan Day to be among the Mount Rushmore of OSU coaches, he has to go 12-0. That clearly means a win over their arch-nemesis. But this time, against an improved Michigan squad, can the Buckeyes dent their campaign? When Jeremiah Smith expressed his hate for Michigan, alum Rich Eisen said confidently, “Noted.” If that 1-4 record sees one more loss, maybe Ryan Day’s job could be at risk.