Former OSU DE Jack Sawyer’s dominant defensive play led OSU to a national title victory in 2023, but he couldn’t break a three-year losing streak of ‘The Game.’ It’s been nearly two years since OSU lost to Michigan for the fourth consecutive time that season despite having a title-winning caliber roster, but the post-loss situation in Columbus is still tough to recall for Sawyer, who felt it firsthand.

“We have the letdown at the end of the year against the team up north,” said Sawyer during his June 10 appearance on the Under Further Review podcast. “So it was kind of a weird season throughout the rides. We kind of rode the roller coaster a little bit, and then after we lost that game, it was kind of like, ‘Hey, we got to figure this out. And yeah, we got too much talent on both sides of the ball. We got too great at coaching, going on both sides of the ball. Why can’t we put our best product out there?'”

Losing to unranked Michigan in 2024 following a five-game winning streak was a big blow for the Buckeyes as they entered the game as a heavy 19.5-point favorite. But in the 4th quarter, with the score tied 10–10, Ohio State did the damage with a series of ruinous plays. That gave Michigan an opportunity to lead, and kicker Dominic Zvada sealed the victory with a 21-yard field goal. OSU lost to the Wolverines, 13-10.

“And we took it on ourselves and said, ‘Hey, we got a chance to go right, you know, right the wrongs in the biggest way,'” continued the former OSU star. “And that’s what we did. The intensity and how locked in we were in meetings and walkthroughs, you could feel it. Like I’ve said it before, but I felt you could cut the intensity with a knife in the air.”

OSU QB Will Howard’s two interceptions and the O-line struggle handed them this loss. The Buckeyes’ offense gained 252 yards and was held to just 77 yards on the ground. Not only offense, but OSU defense also made errors in the second half of ‘The Game.’ Sawyer had career highs with 59 tackles and 9 TFLs, despite his team’s loss.

Surely, the Michigan loss threw OSU from the Big Ten title race, but the Buckeyes appeared in the CFP in the 2024 season.

“It wasn’t like we were nervous; it was like such an ‘oh my gosh’ type of deal. It was more like, man, we got nothing to lose. Like, let’s go out here and have fun and play and do what we know how to do. So, from that perspective, looking back on it now, it was cool to see the change we made, and like you said, it was a dominant run,” said Sawyer.

The loss to the struggling 6-5 Michigan team forced the Buckeyes to prepare in some way or fix their mistakes. They won all four postseason games against Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame, ultimately leading to the national title victory. But in 2025, with QB Julian Sayin at the helm, OSU beat Michigan 27-9, breaking a four-year losing streak. Even the QB is crystal clear about his goal against the Wolverines in 2026.

OSU’s 2026 expectation of beating Michigan

OSU vs. Michigan is one of the highly anticipated college football rivalries. And the Buckeyes take the task of beating the Wolverines seriously. Following a win last season against Michigan, this season OSU is determined to beat them again.

“That’s something [beating Michigan] we needed to get done, but there’s still more,” said Sayin in May, 2026.

However, the main goal is to make a title run in 2026. In 2025, they fell short in the first round of the CFP, losing to Miami, ending their national title hope. Though, in 2026, the Buckeyes are ready to live up to their standard.

“The standard at Ohio State is to win every game. We’ve seen what the players that came before us have done, and it’s our responsibility to uphold that standard,” said Sayin.

Now, we will see if OSU is able to beat Michigan this season or not.