Blake Biscardi recaps what went wrong for Ohio State in its loss at Michigan, and explains if Ryan Day should keep his job or be fired.

Dear fellow Buckeyes,

What an empty feeling from Saturday’s game. Complete devastation is ruling the hearts of the coaches, players, and fans. The unfortunate part of the era of college football is one team had to lose. It was one of the best football games of the season, and both teams proved to be two of the four best in the country. 

Looking at a game of this magnitude on the road was always going to be difficult. At the end of the day, it came down to the two turnovers being the difference. Despite everything going on in Ann Arbor, Michigan is a very good, veteran football team. Not having Jim Harbaugh on the sideline is a loss, but when you have good leaders and a team that believes in each other, you can be successful. 

To his credit, Harbaugh has an established culture, and culture is what leads when no one is watching. However, amid the sign-stealing investigation, I realize that sentence is an oxymoron. Leadership is about equipping those around you, and it’s clear JJ McCarthy and the veterans on the Wolverines stepped up. 

On the other hand, Ryan Day lost his third straight to his biggest rival. That’s an indisputable fact. But two things need to be straight before we unpack the loss. No, Ryan Day should not be fired, and Ohio State lost a good football game to an excellent team on the road. 

Through first 5 seasons as Ohio State head coach:

Urban Meyer:
Record: 61-6
CFP: 2/3
Big Ten Championships: 1/2
TTUN: 5-0
Other Big Ten: 40-3
National Titles: 1/1
Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl
Ls: Clemson (x2), MSU (x2), VT, Penn State

Ryan Day:
Record: 56-7
CFP: 3/5 (maybe… pic.twitter.com/FfsQs6D95S

— Saturday Cadence Podcast (@SaturdayCadence) November 26, 2023

If you want to win a Top 3 game on the road, you cannot have two crucial interceptions. The game management decision to wind the clock to kick a FG to end the first half or complaining about the defense has no grounds to unseat two critical turnovers. 

Michigan was set up with a short field, which led to a touchdown. Then, despite everything that transpired in the game, the defense got the offense the ball back with enough time to score and win the game. 

Sure, the defense could have gotten off the field earlier on the drive, and they should have with an OPI penalty. Overall, Jim Knowles’ unit was solid, holding Michigan to 3/12 on third down. The Wolverines were 3/3 on fourth down, however. But the bottom line is the offense was given a chance to win The Game, and it sputtered. Kyle McCord threw his second interception of the afternoon. 

If you go back and watch the film, Donovan Jackson gets put on his backside to allow the pass rush to get to McCord early, which is why he forced the ball to Harrison. McCord actually has space to deliver a strike to Marvin Harrison if he’s able to have a clean pocket. It would have been a completion to set up the Buckeyes near the red zone. 

After McCord threw the first interception, he responded very well with a solid second and third quarters. But in two big moments during The Game, he made a poor decision, and his offensive line didn’t protect him. A good team will make you pay. 

At Ohio State, you’re judged by how you perform or coach against Michigan. Day is now 1-3, but those three losses are not created equal. In the last two years, the issue for the Buckeyes was physicality and defense in the second half. While Ohio State wasn’t as stout as it has been all season in the second half this year, they didn’t lose because they were out-manned. 

Amid the scandal, suspended and fired coaches, the pressure to win The Game found its way onto Ohio State. It should have been on Michigan to prove the last two and a half seasons weren’t a fluke. The narrative swung quickly and the Buckeyes looked tighter than expected and lacked the war-ready emotion the program is accustomed to requiring against its biggest rival. Hatred, back-breaking vitriol, and an emotional edge are the standard on the field but it appeared those were left in Columbus.

Physicality wasn’t the issue. Both teams had their shots of punishing will-imposing drives. Michigan just happened to take seven minutes in the fourth, just like Ohio State did in the third. 

At the same time, the offensive line did not fare well in pass protection. It has been a struggle for that unit all season, and the Wolverines capitalized. Michigan built its roster to be tough and physical in all levels, starting with the offensive line. Ohio State needs to commit more resources to recruiting better personnel up front instead of extra players in skill positions. 

Winning or controlling the line of scrimmage is the secret sauce to beating Michigan or an SEC team like Georgia or Alabama. If there’s one critique of Day’s tenure about personnel, it’s related to the offensive line. Six of his seven losses have come against Top 5 teams. In four of them, the Buckeyes failed to control the line of scrimmage. 

Saturday was a battle between great football teams and one had to lose, and the team that made more mistakes wound up doing so. Two interceptions and a missed field goal (special teams as a whole) are the two glaring reasons the Buckeyes lost. 

The third is the defense not forcing a punt in the second half, but it still gave the offense an opportunity to win, so take that as you will. I still think they played well, as they have all season. 

This article is not a cop-out or defense of the program. It’s an inexcusable loss if you focus on the paper reading three straight. But if you watched The Game, you know it looked unlike the last two seasons, and unfortunately, you can’t script two turnovers in big moments on the road. Take those away, and the tenor around Ryan Day and Ohio State is very different.