The Game is finally here. And for No. 1 Ohio State, there’s nowhere left to hide. Ryan Day’s 1-4 record is a blemish and stands in stark contrast to his predecessor’s dominance. Urban Meyer went a perfect 7-0 against Michigan during his time in Columbus. His “Team Up North” philosophy was warfare disguised as preparation. And Meyer recently opened up about why he took things to what some considered an extreme.​

“I mean, the state of Ohio dies when you lose that game. And people often criticize—not criticize me, but have fun with it—saying, a little bit like you. Why, why, why? I guess because I grew up in the great state of Ohio. I grew up in the 10-year war,” Meyer explained to Todd McShay when asked about his intense approach to the rivalry. “I lived this rivalry even when I wasn’t coaching it. Did I take it to the extreme? I probably did, but there was a guy who coached for 28 years, named Woody Hayes, who took it pretty seriously. And Earl Bruce, the guy I worked for, and then Jim Tressel, so I tried.”

“I didn’t do it to be silly, and I would get really pis-ed off, Todd. Everybody knew that was going to be a really bad day for you if someone made light of the fact that we won’t say that team’s name. We will never disrespect them. If I ever heard a player say something about, well, we’re gonna kick their ass, or they’re not very good. Never say that. Because the minute someone thinks that the Wolverines don’t have great players, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Those are great players, and they’re certainly going to play their best in this game.” 

Urban Meyer’s intensity wasn’t manufactured for effect. It was rooted in genuine reverence for Ohio State tradition. He had zero tolerance for anything less than maximum focus. 

And the results speak louder than any motivational tactic ever could. Urban Meyer’s seven consecutive victories over Michigan included close nail-biters like the 30-27 double-overtime thriller in 2016 and absolute demolitions like the 62-39 beatdown in 2018. That final victory in 2018 came against a Michigan defense ranked No. 1 in the country, and Ohio State hung 62 points on them like it was nothing. 

Urban Meyer once called his 7-0 record against Michigan his “No. 1” achievement at Ohio State. He ranked it even above the 2014 national championship. “I was raised that you can lose all games but never lose that game,” Meyer said in 2019. From 2012 to 2018, Ohio State owned them. It would eventually become an eight-game winning streak before Jim Harbaugh finally broke through in 2021.​​

Ryan Day needs to channel that same mentality if he wants to salvage his legacy in Columbus. Day tried to inject some fire this week, saying, “We’re preparing to kick ass, and that’s what we want to do on Saturday.” But words mean nothing without results. If Day can’t end this four-game skid on Saturday, no amount of national championships will erase the fact that he lost five straight to Michigan. The clock is ticking, and the state of Ohio is watching.​

The governor who knows what it takes to win

Jim Tressel may have traded his whistle for a government desk as Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor, but the legendary coach who went 9-1 against Michigan during his tenure knows exactly what Ryan Day is up against. When Tressel showed up to ring the Victory Bell before Ohio State’s game against Rutgers, he delivered pointed advice for a Buckeyes team heading into the most hostile environment in college football.

“That’s a tough place to play,” Tressel said in an interview with WBNS 10TV. “The only time we lost to them was up there (Ann Arbor). They got great fans like we do. It’s loud. You got to quiet that crowd, keeping your wits about you, keeping poised, patient, but playing with a lot of velocity. That game—whether it’s here or there—throw out the records. Sometimes, weather’s the great equalizer. Handle things play by play and then get ready for the playoffs. But there’s nothing like that last regular season game.” 

His single loss in Ann Arbor back in 2003 remains the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record against the Wolverines. And Tressel clearly hasn’t forgotten what it takes to survive in the Big House.​ His “Tresselball” approach, emphasizing field position, defense, and special teams, transformed The Game into something Ohio State dominated for a decade, making Michigan victories feel like a shocking upset rather than an expected outcome. For Day and the Buckeyes, those words from a man who mastered this rivalry might be the blueprint they’ve been missing for four straight years.​