Without using “both,” Ohio State can now answer a fabled question: Would you rather beat Michigan or win the National Championship?

For years, a question has circulated throughout Buckeye Nation and the Ohio State football program: Would you rather beat Michigan or win the National Championship? The last two seasons have ended with one or the other being accomplished, but not both.

2022 was the first opportunity for the Buckeyes to win a title without gold pants. However, a hooked field goal against Georgia ended Ohio State’s championship hopes. Ohio State was unable to achieve either goal. The Buckeyes have won nine National Titles, meaning there have been plenty of winters when Ohio State beat Michigan but did not win it all. 

On the other hand, Ohio State never entered the offseason with a National Championship Trophy without a pair of gold pants until last year.

2024 saw the College Football Playoff expanded to twelve teams, and Ohio State inexplicably lost to Michigan 13-10. Disaster struck the Scarlet and Gray, which had all three goals in its grasp until more special teams miscues and poor offensive game planning cost them. 

Still, the Buckeyes made the CFP as the No. 8 seed and hosted No. 9 Tennessee in the First Round. Ohio State dominated the game from the opening whistle and carried that momentum into Pasadena with another historic victory over No. 1 Oregon. 

Two wins brought Ohio State to the Cotton Bowl against Texas, a classic that saw Jack Sawyer become a legend. Onto Notre Dame went the Buckeyes to complete their preseason mission. Facing a 3rd and 11, Will Howard found Jeremiah Smith down the right sideline — one of the most infamous plays in Ohio State lore. Jayden Fielding added a field goal to ice the game and deliver the program’s ninth championship. 

But did the season feel complete? The No. 1 goal each year in Columbus is to beat Michigan, followed by winning the Big Ten and National Championship. The Buckeyes accomplished one of those goals, and perhaps the most meaningful trophy. 

Woody Hayes said it best, “There can be no great victories in life without tremendous adversity.” 

It was uncharted territory for Ohio State because neither the Buckeyes nor Wolverines had ever won a National Championship Game without beating the other. 

Fast forward to 2025 as Ohio State’s quest is to repeat for the first time in school history. More importantly, Ryan Day and Ohio State had to get the Michigan monkey off their back. On November 29th, by a score of 27-9, the Buckeyes did just that. 

After a chaotic week, Ohio State ultimately fell to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game as the elusive conference title (2020) continues to evade Columbus. Dropping only to No. 2, Ohio State entered the playoff in a similar mindset as a year ago, feeling like they let one get away. So how would they respond in the quarterfinal against Miami? 

Expecting a team locked in and physically imposing seemed like the proper expectation, but Ohio State was flat. The offensive line played its worst game of the season, and Julian Sayin sped up as a result. Ohio State’s signal caller showed his youth, which offered perspective that he’s only 14 starts into his career. 

Unfortunately, perspective doesn’t exist in this fanbase, and the Buckeyes are expected to win every game. Moreover, the issue wasn’t that Ohio State lost — it’s football, and it happens. It was how they lost: being dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball and lacking the physical edge.

Ohio State’s season came to a surprising end at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes, 24-14, in Arlington. The season feels like a disappointment, but why? 

Ohio State beat Michigan for the first time since 2019. Shouldn’t that be viewed as a success? Before I continue, the last time the Buckeyes accomplished all three goals was 2014. Ohio State doesn’t look at its goals as “either or,” but rather as “both and.” 

However, now that there’s empirical evidence to the age-old adage of “Would you rather beat Michigan or win a National Championship, which season was more accomplished?” 

This isn’t to diminish the value of the rivalry game, because it’s the most critical 60 minutes of the year and is embedded in the fabric of the program. But it goes to show how difficult it is to win a National Championship, especially the way Ohio State did last year, with arguably the greatest run in College Football history.