In most programs, a head coach with a 45-6 record and three trips to the College Football Playoffs in four-plus seasons is not facing any pressure. Ohio State is not most programs.

As with any head coach at an elite football school, Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day knows the Buckeyes are expected to be in national title contention, but there is another expectation that rivals that in importance: beating Michigan.

“When you are at a place like Ohio State, the expectations are at the highest level. You’re expected to win the rivalry game and every game after that. That’s just the way it goes,” Day acknowledged.

Last year’s 45-23 Buckeye home loss to the Wolverines was particularly painful. After leading 20-17 at halftime, the Buckeyes were outscored 28-3 in the second half. The loss followed a 42-27 loss at Michigan the year before. The back-to-back losses in the heated rivalry marked the first time Ohio State lost the matchup in consecutive years since 1999 and 2000 when the Wolverines capped off winning five of six contests in the series.

Day, who purportedly stated in a team meeting that the Buckeyes planned to “hang 100 on them” before the 2020 season, hasn’t defeated the Wolverines since. The 2020 game was canceled in the shortened COVID-19 year and Michigan has scored 87 points in their two victories since then.

High-Powered Passing Offense

The Buckeyes may have lost quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud to the NFL’s Houston Texas, but still return a high-powered offense led by the nation’s top wide receiver, Marvin Harrison, Jr., caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022 to become the program’s first unanimous All-American wide receiver. He caught seven passes for 120 yards and a touchdown against the Wolverines.

Meanwhile, fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka ranked ninth in the nation with 1,151 receiving yards and ninth with 46 receptions of 10 or more yards. He saved his best for big games, including catching career-high nine passes for 125 yards against Michigan. In five games against nationally ranked opponents (three in the top-five), he totaled 35 receptions for 426 yards and three scores.

“On offense, we probably have the most skill we’ve had in a long time. We have to fill some holes on the O-line (offensive line) and figure out who the quarterback is going to be,” Day said. “We have unbelievable depth at running back. All the pieces are in place.”

Whether he chooses to go with Kyle McCord or Devin Brown, his quarterback will have plenty of options to throw to in addition to Harrison, Jr. and Egbuka. Wide receiver Julian Fleming caught 34 passes for 533 yards and six touchdowns. He caught at least one scoring pass in five consecutive games and recorded a season-best five receptions against both Michigan and national champion Georgia. Cade Stover caught 36 passes for 406 yards, both of which were the most for a Buckeye tight end since 1995, and added five touchdowns.

Questions on Defense

The loss to Michigan and playoff loss to Georgia in spite of an outstanding offensive effort highlighted the Buckeyes’ struggle on the defensive side of the ball. The defense yielded 520 yards of total offense (278 through the air and 252 on the ground) without forcing a turnover against Michigan. The 2021 matchup saw the Wolverines produce 487 yards of total offense with nearly 300 yards on the ground.

In the 42-41 national semifinal loss to the Bulldogs in January, the Ohio State defense gave up 398 passing yards and 533 total yards, giving up 18 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute remaining.

Day sees that turning around this season. “We have experience, certainly on defense. This is probably the best we’ve been since 2019. We have experience at linebacker and upfront, and the most depth we’ve had at corner in a long time,” Day remarked.

Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau will anchor the defense. The first team All-Big 10 selection last year as a sophomore, he recorded 28 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Last year’s win over Penn State showed how he can take over a game as he registered three tackles for loss, two sacks, and two interceptions in addition to forcing and recovering a fumble.

Jack Sawyer played between two positions a year ago, but will primarily play defensive end this year. He totaled 24 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks to earn honorable mention All-Big 10 honors.

Bottom Line

The Buckeyes averaged 44.2 points per game last year and seem destined to put a lot of points on the board again this year. Whether Day can turn things around against Michigan and/or bring the Buckeyes back to the national title game will depend on the defense.

The 87 points the Buckeyes have given up in the past two games against their arch rivals is the most since 1902-03. The last time Michigan won three consecutive games in the series was 1995-97, but those three games were decided by a combined 18 points. The back-to-back losses coming into this season were by a combined 37 points.

“All the pieces are in place, but that’s not what fires me up the most,” Day stated. “To me, this is the most is the experienced team we’ve had. They’ve been through it. We’ve had some really good talent in the past couple of years, but they were young. These guys have been playing.

Despite all his success since taking over the helm as the interim head coach in 2018, Day will be feeling the heat when his team heads to “The Big House” in Michigan on Nov. 25.