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Ryan Day is gearing up for a College Football Playoff matchup against Tennessee. Over the weekend, he sat down to preview the contest while also reflecting on the year that’s been.
In the process, he took a swipe at the rival Michigan Wolverines. Only one team in the rivalry is playing for a national title.
Devaluing “The Game” has begun pic.twitter.com/XpsIwsqkLO
— Intent To Deceive (@nezzy21) December 16, 2024
“We’re in a different era,” he said in a recent media appearance. “It’s a different time. We are in the playoffs. Other teams aren’t, and that’s just the way it goes. It’s not like it’s ever going to change ‘The Game,’ but we’re in the playoffs and that’s all we know right now.”
Much has been made of his season ending loss to the Wolverines. It was his fourth straight in the series, and by far the most egregious. In previous seasons, both programs had been performing on a national championship level.
This year, though, the Buckeyes entered The Game as a three-score home favorite. The Wolverines were 6-5. Still, the result remained the same!
After the loss, many questioned Ryan Day’s ability to get over the hump. He, too, took defeat hard as he has with past rivalry losses. He went as far as to compare losing against the Wolverines to the childhood memory of his father’s death. That’s how much The Game meant.
Now, though, it seems he’s taken some pressure off of the season finale. The 12-team playoff allows for more inclusion in the postseason race. One game doesn’t matter quite as much as it used to. The matchup with Michigan is no different.
Ryan Day – The goal all along was to make the 12 team playoff, The Big 10 changed and we took on injuries
Im sick 🤮 pic.twitter.com/p72dahXYOv
— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) December 16, 2024
“The goal all along was to make the playoffs,” he continued. “Well, we’re here.” The loss to the Wolverines doesn’t change that. Still, the response offered a very different outlook than what was seen when Michigan ruined Ohio State’s Big Ten title chances just two weeks back.
Ryan Day’s jab isn’t the only to be seen from a playoff participant who lost to a rival on the final week of the regular season. Clemson trolled South Carolina on its postseason inclusion after falling at home to the Gamecocks in November.
Michigan fans view this response as a deflection following an embarrassing loss. Ohio State, meanwhile, has already begun to devalue that rivalry defeat. We’ll see if the Buckeyes have truly put the game behind them soon enough. They’ll look to make some noise in the College Football Playoff this weekend.