Ryan Day has lost “The Game” to Michigan for three straight seasons. Losing to your biggest rivals can be painful and the disappointment can linger for weeks and months. While the Buckeyes HC has faced criticism for his side’s losing run, no one can question whether those defeats have had an impact on him. Going by his recent comments it seems losing to Michigan has taken an emotional toll on Day.

Talking to 10TV’s Dom Tiberi on  GameTime with Ryan Day, the head coach said, “I love these guys. They’re an unbelievable group, so that’s why we got to have that edge, and we will because we know what’s at stake. I mean, we felt what it’s like to not win this game. And it’s bad! It’s one of the worst things that happened to people in my life, you know, quite honestly. I’ve seen losing my father and a few other things, like, quite honestly for my family, the worst thing that’s happened, so we can never have that happen again ever. And that’s been the approach all season.”

These are big, big words coming from Ryan Day. We have seen how football can mean so much to people but a coach comparing the pain of losing to a rival to his father’s death is mind-boggling. But then again, it could be a way to remind the OSU fans how badly he wants to beat the Wolverines.

Day has disclosed in the past that he lost his father due to suicide when he was just eight years old in 1988. Notably, over the years he has been open about confronting his trauma stemming from his father’s death and has also been a public advocate for mental health since taking up the HC role at Ohio State.

Although the Buckeyes had been overpowering the Wolverines for many years, their past three meetings went in favor of Jim Harbaugh-led Michigan, with OSU’s last win coming in 2019. Day is determined to halt this run of defeats and he might have just raised the stakes even more with his words.

If the OSU players needed any reminder of what this rivalry means, they got a heartbreaking and painful message from their coach highlighting its importance, though some would say Day went a little overboard. Still, his players are as determined as their coach to get that elusive win.

Ryan Day’s boys are hungry to win against Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan and Ohio State rivalry usually comes with high stakes, such as Big Ten glory or playoff spots, but this year? It’s a little complicated. Michigan’s season is over with a rocky, 6-5 record. Meanwhile, Ohio State is rolling with a solid 10-1 record, and their national title dream is pretty much alive. Yet, when these two meet, it’s all about the rivalry.

After three straight losses to Michigan, this year is very critical for Ryan Day so the pressure is suffocating and his defensive back Jack Sawyer didn’t mince his words, saying, “It’s tough what I had to see (Ryan Day) go through. I love Coach Day to death. There’s no one I want this win more for than him and the brothers I go to battle with every day.” He followed by recalling the days they went through after losing three consecutive games against them.

Ryan Day’s starting quarterback Will Howard also echoed the same emotion, saying, “This rivalry game means everything. We talk about it all the time. I won’t take it lightly. This is the biggest game of our season,” he concluded. But there’s nothing to worry about for these guys, as Michigan is not rolling over. They’re indeed an underdog and Ohio State opened as a 23.5-point batting favorite entering this game. It may not be a life-and-death affair, but the pressure and stakes are as high as ever.