The Ohio State football team’s defeat over Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday afternoon, 30–24, will cause the program and its supporters to suffer for at least another season.
The Buckeyes will have to watch their fierce rival compete for the Big Ten championship for the third year in a row rather than play for the conference crown. Ohio State is effectively eliminated from consideration for a College Football Playoff position as a result of the loss.The character of the loss is what makes it ache, not simply the fact that Michigan lost. Jim Harbaugh wasn’t on the sidelines for the Wolverines; instead, they were fighting the NCAA and the conference on accusations of sign theft. Distractions were provided so they wouldn’t have to concentrate on “The Game.” Even though all the signs pointed to the Buckeyes righting the ship, they capsized once more. Everyone detests losing to their competitors, and this one seems like a lost chance to win the conference back.The past three years have felt like a broken record. With greater tenacity, this team will execute the plays required to overcome Michigan and take home the Big Ten title. And now here we are, falling short against the Wolverines, missing out on a conference championship, and facing yet another torturous year. It’s warm, but I don’t think Day is in the hot seat at all. I’m not sure if I’ll feel the same way if we lose next year. Even while this loss wasn’t quite like the other two, it still hurts.
Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, J.T. Tuimoloua, Denzel Burke, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jack Sawyer are probably headed to the NFL. Without taking into account the players who have used up all of their eligibility, those are only the underclassmen. There will be plenty of openings for the Buckeyes because that doesn’t even account for guys who might transfer. Yes, this is one of the few programs that rebuilds rather than reloads, but the team the next year may be even more exposed than it was this one. Day exceeded everyone’s expectations; many thought a three-loss campaign was ahead of them, but this team may face difficulties the next year in the much stronger Big Ten. (I really hope I’m mistaken.)
