Ryan Day and Ohio State won the National Championship in 2024, but winning The Game against Michigan remains the top priority.

College football is a sport unlike any other. While the NFL thrives on parity and dynasties define the NBA, college football runs on something deeper: rivalries. Rooted in tradition, built on regional pride, and passed down through generations, these rivalries are the lifeblood of the sport. And no rivalry in sports, whether Yankees-Red Sox or Lakers-Celtics, rivals The Game: Ohio State vs. Michigan.

That’s why, despite winning the National Championship in 2024, Ryan Day enters the 2025 season with pressure. Not because his job is in jeopardy or because his players don’t love him. Not because he isn’t recruiting at an elite level. But because he has to beat Michigan. That’s the standard at Ohio State.

Let’s rewind. The Buckeyes lifted the National Championship trophy at the end of the 2024 season, an incredible feat that cemented Ryan Day’s status as one of the premier coaches in college football. And yet, in the minds of many Ohio State fans, the season came with a caveat.

Four straight losses to the Wolverines. The longest streak in the rivalry for Michigan since the turn of the millennium. Despite winning it all, the sting of that November afternoon in Columbus lingers like a shadow over the celebration.

This is The Game. It’s what college football was built on. To understand the pressure, you have to understand the fabric of the sport. College Football is a tapestry woven from rivalry games. Iron Bowl. Red River. Army-Navy. But nothing compares to Ohio State-Michigan.

It’s not hyperbole to say it’s the biggest rivalry in sports. It’s evident in history, the sport’s identity, and midwestern culture.

Ohio State dominated for two decades, going 17-3 at one point and refusing to lose in Columbus. Every rivalry has runs. But this current four-game Michigan streak has flipped the narrative. Suddenly, the Scarlet and Gray faithful are looking for answers. Because at Ohio State, you are measured not just by National Championships, but by what you do on the final Saturday in November.

Ryan Day is everything you want in a head coach. He’s a strategic offensive genius who’s beloved by his players and staff. He’s also recruiting at a championship level. In a vacuum, his resume is elite.

But he wasn’t hired to coach in a vacuum. He was hired to win The Game. That’s the expectation that comes with the Block O. You can beat Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame. But if you don’t beat Michigan, it doesn’t feel complete.

The good news? Day gets it. He understands what this rivalry means. He’s not dodging it or making excuses. Not even amid the cloud of sign-stealing controversies that surround Michigan’s program. Instead, he’s reloading, recalibrating, and preparing for the moment this November.

Because no matter what happens in Week 1 in the colossal rematch with Texas, or in the potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash with Penn State in Columbus, the season comes down to The Game.

With the expanded 12-team playoff, the silver lining is clear: You can lose a rivalry game and still win a national title. Ohio State proved it last year.

But in Columbus, a championship doesn’t completely erase a loss to Michigan. Because it’s more than a game. It’s identity, pride, and tradition. And for Ryan Day, it’s the one box left to re-check to silence every critic by returning to the win column. Not for his job security, but for his legacy.

He doesn’t need to be on the hot seat for the pressure to be real. It’s simply the price of the seat he sits in. The Game isn’t just sixty minutes; it’s a way of life. The countdown to this November began at triple zeros. The clock is ticking…