“We do not pull in and fill up. And I’ll tell you why we don’t. It’s because I don’t buy one go—-n drop of gas in the state of Michigan. We’ll coast and push this go—-n car to the Ohio line before I give this state a nickel of my money.” These now-iconic words from Ohio State’s legendary head coach, Woody Hayes, encapsulate the ferocity of the Buckeyes’ rivalry against Michigan. The coaches, the players, and even the backroom staff knew all about it and the stakes in ‘the game‘. There was a reason why Woody Hayes’ tenure is called the ten-year war that lasted from 1969 to 1978. You just can’t afford to lose to Michigan, it was an unwritten rule, a law that was to be strictly adhered to in Ohio State. Now, 47 years after that ten-year war period, Ryan Day, despite winning the national title, is in a dilemma of just that, and it could well be the end of Ohio State, according to a prominent analyst.

From a neutral standpoint, Ryan Day accomplished everything there was to achieve last season. His comeback after that 13-10 Michigan defeat was notable, and the team went on to defeat 4 powerhouse teams to win the national title. Still, despite that win and the elusive national title, the legacy of Ryan Day had been murky. After all, this wasn’t the first time Ryan Day got bested by Michigan. In 2023, Ohio State lost by 24-30, 23-45 in 2022, and 27-42 a year before that. Overall, in his tenure, Ryan Day has defeated Michigan just once in 2019, creating a complex legacy for him even after the national title win.

J.D. PicKell of On3 in his 28th May video was asked a similar question as to why the legacy of Ryan Day hasn’t been equal to coaches like Kirby Smart, even though Smart also won his first championship in his 6th season. “The reason why Ryan Day isn’t getting the same respect as maybe Kirby Smart got when he won his first national championship is Michigan. And I know that is like vinegar to the ears right now to hear, but it’s the case because when he got the keys to Ohio State, he inherited a spot now from Urban Meyer, where he had gone 7 and 0 against Michigan.” Well, Urban Meyer in his tenure surely exceeded all expectations, even in defeating Michigan.

Not only did the head coach exceed all expectations by producing an 83-9 record in his tenure, but he also won the national title in the first year of the playoff era, defeating Nick Saban’s Alabama. However, the most notable achievement was his 7-0 record against their archrival Michigan, tying with Jim Tressel for the longest winning streak. Remember the 2016 Big 10 title game against Michigan? Well, it was a pinnacle of Urban Meyer’s coaching prowess when OSU won 30-27 in double overtime. But now, in Ryan Day’s tenure? The fans are still starving for these moments against Michigan, and that opens up a brutal scenario.

“I keep saying this, the Michigan conversation for the folks in Columbus is like an infection. It’s just irritating. It’s frustrating.
And right now, it’s not giving you the biggest problem, you can live with it because you just won a national championship. But if you don’t take care of that infection over the course of the next couple of years, it is going to be the end of you,” said J.D. PicKell. Well, that’s exactly what happened with John Cooper.

Cooper got fired after producing a 2-10-1 record against Michigan. Of course, his overall performance played a part in the firing, but if the head coach had shown performances against Michigan, then his 111-43 record wouldn’t be seen with greater scrutiny. Moreover, his 0-1-5 stretch from 1988 against Michigan was the final nail in his coffin, and he got fired. And guess what? The scrutiny is at an all-time high for Ryan Day now, despite winning the championship.

Ryan Day’s greatness has questions lingering even in the future?

Going 1-4 against a rival may have been acceptable at any other program, but at Ohio State? It falls far short of expectations. The rivalry dates back to 1897 and has shaped the program’s culture over the century. So, in the ‘Adapt and Response with RJ Young’ podcast, RJ Young highlighted concerns about how Ryan Day is beyond saving his legacy.

“You cannot be the greatest coach at Ohio State of all time if you have a losing record against Michigan. I dare say you have to go undefeated against Michigan in your tenure at this time to even get into that discussion for many Ohio State fans. I think he could win the next four in a row, right? Maybe get back to 500 against Michigan. Still not going to be on the list of the greatest of all time. You’ll be on the list, I think, of great head coaches because you’ve already done something that some have not—like John Cooper, for instance.”

Well, John Cooper in his time had several losing streaks against Michigan, amongst which the stretch from 1988 to 1991 was notable, with 4 losses. Overall, his record against Michigan is still a stain on his 2 decades of tenure at Ohio State, and the legacy is complex. For Ryan Day, there is still time to get that winning streak back and finally make his mark in ‘the game’, but it needs to be swift and deadly. For many fans, Day may never recover his legacy, no matter what he accomplishes elsewhere. But is it truly over, or is there one last Hail Mary left? Place your bets: revival or reckoning?