ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As he walked off the field, Ryan Day raised both fists over his head like a champion boxer. With a big smile, he motioned for the lingering Ohio State fans waiting above the Big House tunnel to cheer louder — then signaled the “O-H” with his arms.
After four straight losses to Michigan, Day finally eradicated the lone remaining blemish on his otherwise brilliant coaching résumé.
On a snowy Saturday, Day’s top-ranked Buckeyes rolled past Michigan 27-9 to advance to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020. Ohio State will face No. 2 Indiana in Indianapolis next weekend with the College Football Playoff’s top overall seed on the line.
“There’s no question that the fans and all of our supporters, what this means — means a lot to us,” Day said of the Michigan game. “That’s what hurt the last couple of years, more than anything. You could see it in my face. … You just feel like you’re letting everybody down — that’s just not a good feeling.
“So you work like hell just to make sure that you do everything you can to get your guys prepared. … And our guys really captured the moment and played great.”
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After a shaky start, which gave Michigan an early 6-0 lead, the Buckeyes dominated in every facet the rest of the way.
Sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin, who tossed an interception on his second pass, bounced back to throw for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
Star wideouts Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, who were questionable to play with nagging lower-body injuries, each hauled in a touchdown. Tate had missed three straight games, while Smith sat out this past weekend. Day called their performances “gutsy” and praised their work to get back on the field.
Ohio State controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
Propelled by freshman Bo Jackson’s 117 yards, the Buckeyes outrushed Michigan 186 to 100, making it 24 years in a row that the winning team in the rivalry also won the rushing battle.
After surrendering a 37-yard Jordan Marshall run on the first snap, the Ohio State defense completely shut down Michigan, giving up just 127 total yards the rest of the game.
Michigan’s nine points were the fewest against the Buckeyes in 15 years.
“Coach Day is an amazing leader. He’s an amazing coach,” said linebacker Sonny Styles, who led Ohio State with six tackles. “A lot of people had stuff to say about this game when it comes to him, and I think he proved the point today. … I’m so happy for him.”
In the waning seconds of last year’s stunning 13-10 loss to Michigan at the Horseshoe, Ohio State students repeatedly chanted “F— Ryan Day.” After receiving death threats, armed guards had to be stationed at the Day home.
Ohio State hasn’t lost a game since.
The Buckeyes rebounded from that crushing defeat to Michigan to win four games in the playoff and capture the national championship.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day celebrates the Buckeyes’ first victory against rival Michigan since 2020. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
This season, they’ve reeled off 11 consecutive victories by 15 or more points, the longest such streak in program history, according to ESPN Research.
As the home fans emptied out of the Big House, Ohio State fans took over in the fourth quarter, chanting “O-H” and “I-O” back and forth across the field over the final minutes.
Last year at the Horseshoe, Michigan players planted their flag on the Block O at midfield, sparking a melee between the teams.
After the final whistle Saturday, the Buckeyes didn’t respond with their own flag plant. Instead, several dropped to the turf to make snow angels before celebrating with the Ohio State band in the end zone.
“I’m happy for our players. I’m happy for the coaches, all the fans who were at the game,” said Day, who is 82-10 as Ohio State’s head coach, the second-best winning percentage in college football history behind Walter Camp, according to ESPN Research. “The fans even who weren’t here, they’ll be able to wear that Block O and stand a little prouder. And so that means a lot to me, means a lot to the coaching staff, to the players and my family.”
In the past, Day confessed that the losses to Michigan counted among the worst days of his life. He admitted Saturday he had dreamed about what he would say in his postgame news conference after beating Michigan.
“But I’m going to save all those comments because I think the best thing to do is win with humility,” Day said. “We wanted to take this rivalry game back. The way our guys played spoke to that. They played with great passion and physicality.”
Day noted that the postgame celebration in the visiting locker room will forever be a “great memory” for him — and a “great moment” that will stick with his players.
“They know how important this is. This is the No. 1 goal of our program,” he said. “They had a great look in their eye — I don’t think there was any doubt when we walked into the stadium today what was going to happen next.”
