The stakes are through the roof for Ohio State this season because this is a National Title-defending program. Ryan Day has lost a lot of players to the NFL, who got OSU that trophy after 10 years. But a back-to-back National Title championship is just one of the HC’s worries. The Buckeyes have to face off against their arch enemies, Michigan, one more time, in what is an intensely awaited game for fans. Paul Finebaum had some things to say about that game that are sure to make fans do a double-take.

When it’s Paul Finebaum, it’s natural to expect quite a caustic tone from the analyst. It didn’t matter to him that the team he was talking about was a National Championship winner. He commented on Jeremiah Smith‘s out-loud expression of hate for the Wolverines. He told The Athletic, “I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.” His anger stems from the fact that one of the Buckeyes’ 3 losses was to Michigan, who had a below-par performance last season. Finebaum did not mince his words and even took a jibe at the HC’s job.

“I’m glad to see somebody on the Ohio State lineup maybe do something more than just mouthing words because Jeremiah sounds serious. Ryan Day has promised after every loss not to lose again and he continues to lose again,” Finebaum said in a July 4 appearance on ESPN College Football. “Even clowns like me on the 4th of July are not going to call for a firing of a coach because he loses one game, but that is a game he has to deal with at some point. But that national championship game will pay a lot of bills, probably, yes, including another loss to Michigan,” he added.

Ohio State was No. 2 in the rankings when they played Michigan, who were unranked at that time. And yet, it lost 10-13 to the Wolverines. That brings Ryan Day’s record against Michigan to a worrying 1-4. OSU was favored by 20 points to win over Michigan. But the Wolverines had the last laugh. The loss was a biting little harsher for the Buckeyes because Michigan defeated them in their home. OSU lost a lot of missed opportunities, fell behind on the rushing attack, and a heap of other things went wrong for Ryan Day in The Game.

This will be the 6th time Day faces the Wolverines in his career as the Buckeyes’ HC. However, other experts are also echoing Finebaum’s thoughts on this ultimate matchup of the season.

Ryan Day is predicted to lose against Michigan yet another time

For Ohio State fans, the OSU-Michigan game is as important as retaining their title of National Champions. OSU will step into 2025 with a great team. But Michigan will enter the season with a much-improved team in comparison to 2024. ESPN had a scathing insight about Ryan Day’s 2025 face-off against Sherrone Moore. “Last year’s astonishing Buckeyes loss might’ve cost Ryan Day his job had the playoff not expanded to 12 and given Ohio State a second bite at the apple.” Moreover, it predicts the Buckeyes falling prey to the Wolverines for the 5th time in a row. “[We] won’t be too shocked if that dark cloud looms so large that the Buckeyes stumble yet again thanks to all of the outside noise,” ESPN wrote.

Many things give Michigan an edge over OSU this time. Among them, the biggest reason is the fact that OSU has to travel to that state up north this time. The Wolverines will have the home factor and might debut, hopefully, one of the best quarterbacks of the season, with Bryce Underwood. The Michigan QB will emerge as an easy favorite when compared to Julian Sayin. Underwood comes with 12,919 all-purpose yards. Sayin has fewer numbers in his prep career compared to Underwood, and will only begin his first major season this year. Underwood has yet to take a college football snap, but an overwhelming majority of fans are sure that he will display some fireworks.

Jeremiah Smith might hate the Wolverines, but Ryan Day now has to channel that hate into a triumph against the Wolverines this season. He has to do it against a fired-up Michigan team this year, which will likely be led by Bryce Underwood. Does the HC have it in him to prove Paul Finebaum wrong?