No game puts Ohio State on alert as The Game does. Ryan Day has openly carried the heavy burden of those past defeats. Last season put him on top again after a 27-9 win in Ann Arbor. This year, it’ll be in Columbus, and it’ll once again return to its familiar noon ET slot on November 28, 2026, in front of a national audience

FOX College Football announced the news during its annual upfront presentation that The Game returns to FOX. For nearly a decade now, FOX has treated Michigan-Ohio State like the crown jewel of Big Noon Kickoff. Last season’s meeting pulled an average of 18.424 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular-season college football game of the year. 

The midday broadcast is like a massive annual festival. Millions of people across the country pause their daily routines to gather around their screens at the exact same hour. FOX keeping this noon tradition alive means generations of fans can keep their shared, sacred game-day rituals unchanged.

FOX has now aired The Game every year since becoming the Big Ten’s TV partner in 2017. The exception is the canceled 2020 matchup during COVID. This upcoming game will mark its ninth straight airing of college football’s fiercest rivalries. The network is expected to roll out the usual heavyweight broadcast crew, too. Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt will be calling the game, while Jenny Taft will be on the sidelines reporting.

For Ryan Day, last season’s win against Michigan finally stopped the bleeding after spending years hearing every variation of the same insult. Comments as he can recruit, can score, can win playoff games, but can’t beat the team up north. Then came QB Julian Sayin walking into the Big House with the weight of the fanbase hanging over him.

That’s not an exaggeration either, because Ohio State fans were exhausted. Losing once to Michigan is painful, but losing four straight games caused an uproar. Julian Sayin knew what was at stake and later admitted to On3’s Chris Low that they “needed to get that done.” 

“We want to put another one of these banners up,” he said, revealing what the future goal is. “The standard at Ohio State is to win every game.”

In their last matchup, Julian Sayin tossed an early interception against Michigan as a first-year starter. But he settled down and threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns and helped Ohio State deliver its most convincing rivalry performance in years. It marked the first time since 2007 that one team failed to score a touchdown in the matchup. And with that, the load on Ryan Day’s shoulder was lifted.

Still, Michigan owns most of the series wins. The Wolverines won four back-to-back games from 2021 through 2024. One came behind Donovan Edwards in 2022, who made headlines with 215 rushing yards. The most recent was in 2024 when the Maize and Blue defeated Ohio State 13-10 as underdogs. But the history is even crazier.

Can Ryan Day be a match for the new-look Michigan?

Michigan’s last loss in Columbus before this recent stretch came back in 2018 when Ohio State dropped 62 points on Jim Harbaugh’s defense in one of the most humiliating beatdowns. The Buckeyes followed it with another win in 2019, extending their streak to eight before Michigan finally turned the rivalry around in 2021. That’s why every season feels like a reset in this matchup that Ryan Day is so intense about. 

This season, new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham is entering the rivalry for the first time. He won’t exactly be walking into enemy territory alone, though. Michigan’s staff still carries strong Ohio State ties with former Buckeye assistant Kerry Coombs and Tony Alford. As for the new head coach, he’s already had a pep talk about The Game.

“Urban Meyer, a good friend of mine, I learned about the right from him when he was up there that team down south, I should say,” he said. “He’s indoctrinated me on the whole thing. But it’s gonna be intense. I can tell you that right now, intensity is probably the word that fits best… I’ve been involved in a pretty bitter rivalry with the Holy War, and so I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited about it.”

Stepping into a historic feud is like walking into a storm that has been raging for a century. A new leader must respect the deep pride of the locals. Whittingham already knows this intense heat from his past battles in the Utah-BYU rivalry, bringing a tough mindset to this new battlefield.

FOX also used Monday’s presentation to confirm another notable matchup. Michigan’s September 12 showdown against Oklahoma will also land in FOX’s premier morning broadcast window. That game finishes a home-and-home series after the Sooners beat the Wolverines 24-13 in Norman last year. Still, everybody knows which game matters most, and it’s Michigan and Ohio State again, with a fresh season of unimaginable pressure waiting for both sidelines.