Examining the genuine significance of Ohio State-Michigan, Ryan Day's performance, and The Game's transformation within the 12-team CFP framework.

What is the true meaning of Ohio State vs. Michigan? 

On November 25, 1950, the answer meant Fred and Janet Andrews didn't hesitate to drive 80 miles for four hours through terrible conditions to reach Ohio Stadium to see what 75 years later is known as the "Snow Bowl." 

Michigan and Ohio State battled it out on the field during the "Great Appalachian Storm of 1950" that day. The two teams collectively punted 45 times amidst a half-foot of snow and winds gusting to 30 mph. The Wolverines managed to gain only 27 yards in total offense. Michigan secured a 9-3 victory thanks to a blocked punt. Fred and Janet Andrews were part of the 50,503 spectators present; a number that continues to increase annually. 

"They were one of the five million people that were there that day," their son Bill told AllSportsPeople.

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From 1979 to 1982, Bill Andrews served as the kicker for Ohio State, later becoming an assistant coach under Earle Bruce from 1983 to 1985. This era came after the intense rivalry known as The Ten Year War, pitting Woody Hayes against Bo Schembechler. During that time, the competition felt as fierce as the legendary Hatfield-McCoy feud, but with football helmets. 

How about this? Last year, 12.3 million individuals tuned in for The Game. For 2023, the event drew 19.1 million viewers. It remains college football's premier rivalry, a grand spectacle, and a demanding test, all condensed into a four-hour broadcast on Fox.

This Saturday, the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes, ranked No. 1 with a 10-1 record, are set to face the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines, who hold a 9-2 record, at Michigan Stadium. The game is slated to begin at 12:14 p.m. Eastern Time, with snow expected. While the rich tradition of this rivalry remains constant, the dynamics of "The Game" have clearly shifted with the expansion of the Big Ten to 18 teams and the College Football Playoff to 12 teams. 

John U. Bacon, a New York Times bestselling author and author of the recently released "The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” has penned several books concerning the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. He is among the traditionalists adapting to the evolving significance of "The Game." 

"Ohio State has had such a good season following the national title season,  that they could lose by 20 or 30 and it barely matters," Bacon said. "They're definitely in the playoffs, they might not even play in the first round. That's all it means — they might have to play one more game than they might otherwise. Even if emotionally the stakes are the same, pragmatically they aren't. They just aren't."

The previous year demonstrated a shift in circumstances. Michigan, with five losses, defeated the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 13-10 on November 30, 2024, marking the Buckeyes' second defeat during the regular season. Subsequently, Ohio State advanced through the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff to secure the national championship. 

"Hats off to Ohio State," Bacon said. "They were definitely the best team last year. They proved it, but in no previous world could you lose this game and call your season a success. That might have been the first time in Michigan-Ohio State history that was the case." 

Times have changed, indeed. 

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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If Ohio State loses to Michigan, should Ryan Day face scrutiny?

This year, Ohio State coach Ryan Day is in that position. On Tuesday, he addressed reporters at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, facing pressure ahead of Saturday's game. How much pressure that is remains highly debatable in Central Ohio. 

The Buckeyes' record against Michigan stands at 1-4, a streak that includes a shocking 13-10 defeat last year when they were favored by three touchdowns. A chaotic altercation erupted at midfield after Michigan players attempted to plant a flag at Ohio Stadium for the second time in three seasons, prompting police to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Day was questioned on how these past events impact the team's current preparation. 

"What's happened in the past doesn't matter," Day said. "It doesn't. You can learn from that. Let's just have a great Tuesday and prepare the best we can to go win this game on Saturday. That's where the focus has to be and we can't let anything else distract us." 

Day evidently took lessons from last year's defeat. Ohio State secured the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff by completing a formidable four-game revenge journey. The Buckeyes boast a 15-game winning streak, concede 7.6 points per contest, and feature two Heisman Trophy contenders on offense: quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Jeremiah Smith.

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The day stands at 81-10, reflecting a.890 winning percentage. Notre Dame's legendary Knute Rockne holds the top spot historically among coaches with a minimum of 10 years of experience, boasting a.881 percentage. This is the point where the debate commences. Does the 1-4 record against the Wolverines carry more significance than the 80-6 record against all other opponents? The answer varies depending on the individual's perspective. 

"Is there pressure on Ryan Day?" Bacon asks rhetorically. "Absolutely, which speaks to how great this rivalry is. In no other rivalry I don't think — maybe Alabama-Auburn — could you say there is pressure on the coach to win the rivalry game after winning a national title. That's praise for the rivalry, in my opinion."

Bacon mentioned he's aware of Michigan supporters who purchased Ohio State national championship coffee mugs last year solely to display the score of The Game—"with the 'M' crossed out, naturally." He's observed online surveys inquiring about Buckeyes fans would prefer to beat Michigan or win a national title this year. 

Losing to Michigan is still a big deal, but last year proved it was not a deal-breaker. Ohio State coach John Cooper – who went 2-10-1 against the Wolverines and had potential national championship seasons ruined in 1995, 1996 and 1997 – did not have the benefit of that during a torturous period in Columbus. Cooper had a 109-33-3 record against everybody else. 

Andrews recalls the scene at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta following the Buckeyes' 34-23 triumph over No. 7 Notre Dame in the CFP championship game on January 20, 2025. Andrews was positioned close to the field for the trophy presentation, marking the program's third national championship of this century. 

"There was a guy behind me right in the middle of the whole trophy ceremony, and he goes, 'You still need to beat Michigan next year or you need to be fired!'" Andrews said. "The guy is an Ohio State fan. You just won a national championship and you're talking about Michigan? What? The game has been over for 10 minutes." 

Yet that moment changed the math on The Game. It is now possible to lose to your most-hated rival and still win a national championship. Day's seat would have been much hotter if it were still the BCS or four-team College Football Playoff era. Yes, there will always be a "Beat Michigan!" Cross-section of fans where the result of that game is the only thing that matters. It remains the foundation of Ohio State's identity, which Day confirmed Tuesday when addressing how his players approach The Game. 

"They know how important this is," Day said. "They know that this is our No. 1 goal every year to win this game." 

It's still that way at Michigan, too. 

The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State continues to be exceptionally intense.

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore remembered stepping onto the field for pre-game warmups at Ohio State. Linebacker Jaishawn Barham, who transferred from Maryland, had previously been in The Shoe, though not for The Game itself. Barham then turned to Moore and stated, "Oh, this is different." 

"And Jaishawn doesn't say much," Moore told reporters during his press conference Tuesday. 

"It's just an aura about it that you can't describe until you get on the field," Moore said. "It's awesome to be part of. It's great to be a part of. It's the best rivalry in sports, in my opinion." 

In 2015, the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry was rekindled after a period of inactivity. Jim Harbaugh's presence initiated a continuation of The Ten Year War against Urban Meyer, a series where the Buckeyes continued to dominate, even through the COVID-affected 2020 season when the teams did not compete. 

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Since then, things have been extraordinary. The Wolverines and Buckeyes have secured the last two national championships. Three of the past four encounters have featured top-five ranked teams, and Michigan is aiming to achieve its first five-game winning streak since a six-game run between 1922 and 1927. 

Connor Stalions' on-site scouting contributed to a thrilling rivalry game at Michigan Stadium on November 25, 2023. Michigan, ranked third, defeated second-ranked Ohio State 30-24, repeating their upset from the previous season. The Wolverines are once again significant underdogs, with The Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff on the line. 

Michigan's playoff aspirations could be dashed by Ohio State, though a Wolverines victory would still necessitate external assistance for CFP entry. Regardless of the outcome, the Buckeyes are assured a CFP spot. Does this alter the dynamic of the game itself? 

"I don't think anything changes the intensity," Moore said. "This is as intense a rivalry as you'll see in sports. I don't think the outcome, regardless win or lose, it's not going to change it. It's a new game every year." 

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Day and Moore dedicated over half an hour to press conferences, addressing inquiries without explicitly naming the opposing institution. However, they did mention the athletes by their names, which could be an outcome of the current transfer portal climate. Changing teams is less frowned upon than it once was, and securing a spot in the College Football Playoff has emerged as the season's primary objective. 

Day and Moore maintained a relaxed demeanor during their press conferences, both smiling and chuckling at some inquiries. This contrasted sharply with the atmosphere of the Ten-Year War, when Hayes and Schembechler refused to communicate, and the reserved press conferences of Lloyd Carr, Jim Tressel, Harbaugh, and Meyer over the past quarter-century. Day even found humor in a question about whether a special message or video would be incorporated into this week's game preparations, "Yeah, I would say so." 

"These guys are about as comfortable as a coach of these teams could be in this situation," Bacon said. "Keep in mind, also, that ain't going to last. If Sherrone Moore loses two in a row — this year and next year — then the heat starts growing. If Ryan Day loses this one then they perform poorly in the playoffs, then you start hearing that again."

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What's the future of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry with a 12-team College Football Playoff? 

Time will tell how The Game fares within the 12-team College Football Playoff. It's frequently likened to the Duke-North Carolina basketball rivalry, and this college football structure will likely intensify the parallels between those two rivalries in the future, potentially unsettling traditionalists. 

Across their 11 national championship seasons, Duke and North Carolina have faced each other, with one team sweeping the other on four occasions. The Blue Devils achieved this sweep against the Tar Heels in the 2009-10 and 2014-15 seasons, while the Tar Heels swept the Blue Devils in 1981-81 and 2008-09. 

However, the 2016-17 season stands out. North Carolina divided their regular-season games against Duke and were defeated by The Blue Devils in the ACC tournament championship. Subsequently, the Tar Heels secured a national championship. 

Ohio State and Michigan supporters are currently adapting to this change. It's conceivable that the universities might face each other in a Big Ten championship contest at some juncture—a highly improbable situation exists where this could occur in the current year—and a CFP game would then mirror the Final Four encounter between Duke and North Carolina on April 2, 2022. 

Bacon finds that challenging. He recalls the significance of the rivalry games during The Ten Year War between Ohio State and Michigan. To demonstrate the former importance of the game, he references ex-Michigan quarterback Dennis Franklin. During Franklin's tenure as the starting quarterback from 1972 to 1974, either the Wolverines or the Buckeyes secured a spot in the Rose Bowl. 

"This guy had 30 wins, two losses and one tie and that man never saw a bowl game of any sort," Bacon said. "That truly — and I grew up with this — that was The Game, The Game, The Game, and there was no substitute. If you lose 12-10 or 14-11 or God help you, you tie 10-10, then your season is done." 

Andrews remembered his initial season with Ohio State back in 1979, a period that marked Bruce's inaugural year and occurred during a three-game losing streak. "Back then, it seemed like an eternity. Three freaking years?" 

Ohio State recruiting coordinator Bob McNea put up a banner that read, "How long will you continue to bow down to Michigan?" That players had to duck under to get to the practice field. The Buckeyes won 18-15. There are more than 75 years of stories like that passed down to either side that will be told before 12:14 p.m. On Saturday.

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Fred Andrews died in 2017. Janet Andrews, aged 97, is set to embark on another installment of The Game this Saturday. Its significance will endure, and the coaches are keenly aware of this as they approach the next chapter. Is it "fun" to coach in this evolving landscape? 

"Like I say, fun is kicking ass and that's what we want to do on Saturday. We're preparing to do that, and that's it," Day said. 

Could the weather play a role seven and a half decades after the "Snow Bowl" and half a century following the Edmund Fitzgerald's sinking? 

"Nov. 10 any year is the deadliest date on the Great Lakes," Bacon said. "This game always played in the Nov. 20s is very rarely snowy for some reason. I don't know if it's the gods or what. This game is almost never snowy. I can't explain. It's strange. It's also strange how often the sun comes out at some point during this day, even though it's not sunny at all at either place in November.” 

Is another national championship season in the cards for The Buckeyes? Or will Michigan achieve another upset, a victory that will be likened to their 1969 and 1995 triumphs, when Tshimanga Biakabutuka ran for 313 yards in a memorable 31-23 win? Moore was questioned about his anticipation of the fans who will make the journey on Saturday, given the enduring significance of this event. 

"Be the loudest, most ravenous, craziest, energetic environment in Michigan Stadium — ever," Moore said. "That's what we want it to be."