Ohio State’s Ryan Day ‘sick’ after third straight loss to Michigan

ANN ARBOR - As Ryan Day answered a question about handling a third straight loss to Michigan, the sounds of jubilation from the Michigan Stadium tunnel echoed down the halls. It was nothing egregious - the standard - but the Ohio State football sports information director recognized his head coach probably didn’t want to hear it.

“Is it possible to close the door in the back?” the staffer asked. Someone obliged.

It may have quieted the noise inside the room, but not inside Day’s head.

Michigan beat Ohio State on Saturday 30-24 in a game that matched the oversized hype that preceded it. The Wolverines, for the third straight year, are headed to the Big Ten championship instead of Ohio State.

“Just sick,” Day said when asked to describe his feelings. “The fact that we came up short in this game. You work your whole year for it and we came up short.”

Day has been Ohio State’s full-time head coach since 2019. He is 56-7 overall and has been to the playoffs three times, but is 1-3 against Michigan.

On Saturday, Michigan ran for 156 yards to Ohio State’s 107. That makes 22 straight meetings between the rivals where the team that has rushed for more yards has won the game. Michigan also intercepted two passes and avoided any turnovers.

“In this game, you’ve got to win the rushing yards and you’ve got to win the turnover battle,” Day said. “We did neither of those things. If that’s not gonna happen, we’re not gonna win this game.”

Michigan went up 14-3 with 10:22 left in the second quarter on a 22-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Roman Wilson. The ball ended up in the arms of a Buckeye in the end zone, but the touchdown call stood after a lengthy replay review, during which Day spent most of the time arguing with the referees.

“I was told that it was called on the field a touchdown and because of that it was upheld,” Day said. “I didn’t quite understand exactly how that was.”

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., a likely top-five NFL draft pick, caught five passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. It was a strong game, but obviously not enough. He said he’d never been double-teamed as much as he was on Saturday.

Michigan pulled out a halfback pass - which went for 34 yards - and deployed a little-used reserve quarterback for a 20-yard run. Day pushed back on the idea that his playcalling was less creative.

“I felt like we had some good stuff,” he said. “I thought we were fairly explosive, because that is a big factor in this game as well.”

He defended his decision to try for a 52-yard field goal at the end of the first half instead of calling timeout earlier and going for it on fourth-and-2. Since the kick missed, he understood the decision could be second-guessed.

After a Michigan field goal with 1:05 left gave Ohio State the ball back with a chance to drive for a game-winning touchdown. Kyle McCord completed two long passes before getting hit on a pass attempt that was ultimately intercepted by Rod Moore.

Day said Michigan was in a deep, zone coverage. “I’m not sure even if (McCord) hadn’t gotten hit what would have happened there. Looked like he got hit and they made a nice play.”

Last season, Ohio State still made the playoffs despite a 45-23 loss to Michigan at home. Day was asked after Saturday’s game if he felt Ohio State was a playoff team.

“I haven’t even thought that far. Playing in this game, everything is so focused on this game. I’d have to kind of process that. I think we have a very good team. We came up short today and it’s devastating, but I believe in our players. I think we have a veteran team, a team that is solid in all three phases. I’d have to kind of see what else is out there. Honestly, I’ve been so focused on this game. ... I do believe this team can play with anybody in the country.”

Day wouldn’t share his exact postgame message to his team. “But we’re all disappointed,” he said. “We know what this game means to so many people and so to come up short is certainly crushing...because you invest your whole year in it and we know at Ohio State what this game means.”

Day seemed less incensed than he had after the last two losses to Michigan and more in shock over another defeat. Much like Michigan, the Buckeyes knew their season couldn’t be a success without a win on Saturday. They were set on avenging the last two losses to Michigan and came up short. What does Ohio State do next?

“It’s just after the game so it’s hard to start thinking about all that,” Day said. “Just trying to process the game right now and then we’ll go from there.”

For Day and the Buckeyes, it’s unclear where that is.