From now until the start of preseason camp in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be running weekly themed content. This week, the focus is on “Unpopular Opinions.” You can catch up on all the themed content here and find all of our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
Ryan Day has said that Ohio State football always keeps one eye on what That Team Up North is doing. If that doesn’t show how seriously Ohio State takes the Michigan rivalry, I’m not sure what does.
Coaches often claim their only focus is on their team’s next game, so Day’s honesty in admitting they’re always watching Michigan is both refreshing and revealing.
Inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, there’s a clock that counts down to the next meeting with Michigan. As soon as one game against the Wolverines ends, the countdown to the next one begins.
Ohio State’s players showed just how much beating Michigan means to them after their 13-10 loss in Columbus last November, when frustration boiled over on the field. Fans were also quick to express their disappointment and anger on social media.
But rather than letting that loss ruin their season, Ohio State used it as fuel. The Buckeyes went on to win four consecutive College Football Playoff games, ultimately taking the national title. That success got me thinking: what matters more—beating Michigan or winning a national championship?
Rivalries are part of what makes college football so special, and none is bigger than Ohio State vs. Michigan. The intensity and focus in Columbus during “The Game” is unlike any other week. Even Kirk Herbstreit wrote in his book “Out of the Pocket” how seriously his family took the rivalry when he was growing up. It was never just another game.
But with the expansion to a 12-team College Football Playoff, a loss to Michigan doesn’t carry the same weight it once did. In the four-team Playoff era, a loss to the Wolverines often ended Ohio State’s Playoff hopes, as happened in 2021 and 2023, and nearly in 2022. But now, losing to Michigan doesn’t necessarily end national championship dreams.
After losing to Michigan last November, the Buckeyes still had a Playoff path. Fans were upset at first, even into the First Round game against Tennessee. But as Ohio State beat the Volunteers and advanced deeper in the Playoff, the sting of that Michigan loss began to fade. Fans started to see that a national championship was still within reach and maybe even more important.
Of course, beating your rival will always be special. But unless it happens in a national title game, it shouldn’t be the end-all, be-all. At a school like Ohio State, the ultimate goal should always be winning it all.
This isn’t to downplay how much beating Michigan means to the Buckeyes and their fans—it’s still a huge deal. But it’s no longer the only goal in this new era of college football.
As traditions evolve and the sport changes, “The Game” will always matter to Ohio State. But now, even with a loss to Michigan, the Buckeyes have another chance to win a national championship. That’s what happened this past season—and it’s made me wonder: which truly matters more to Ohio State—beating Michigan or winning it all?
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