Remember The Game in 2016? When it felt like everything was at stake? Legacies were on the line, and it felt like so much more than The Game.
Urban Meyer running up and down the sidelines getting the crowd
inside The Shoe as loud as possible when the Wolverines had one last shot on fourth-and-goal in the first overtime. Did J.T. Barrett get the line to gain on fourth-and-1? Curtis Samuel’s electrifying game-winning touchdown when Urban fell to the turf in celebration and relief.
It’s only worth imagining what really goes through the minds of these head coaches in a rivalry like this, with the implications like there were in 2016.
In that game, the Buckeyes left nothing to chance. They were the aggressors. When it came to winning, they were the better team. That’s what needs to happen on Nov. 29.
Forget about the fact that the winner of the last 23 editions of The Game has finished with the most rushing yards. Don’t try to play the game the Wolverines want you to play. Play The Game the way you know how: Airing it out, running the ball when necessary, and shutting down Michigan’s offense with your dominant defense.
Ryan Day is all systems go. The one fateful day last year in Columbus changed him as a head coach. It unlocked something in him. There’s a reason the Buckeyes haven’t lost since, winning a National Championship and unleashing the best players in college football.
Let your playmakers cook. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are great for a reason. They can both take over games. Julian Sayin is a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. He needs to be unleashed so he can deliver those moments that show why he is worthy of winning the Heisman Trophy.
This is not the time to do something that might catch the Wolverines off guard because of what you think they think you will do. Make them stop what you do best. This game is where legacies are made and legends are formed.
Everything Ryan Day has done over the last year has earned him vindication, but Buckeye fans haven’t forgotten the last four years. This game is still everything to them.
Has Day learned how to approach this game? How tense will he be this week? He’s setting the tone, and the players will see that.
Beat the Wolverines by playing your game. Don’t do anything that isn’t what has gotten you to this point. It’s time to end this infamous streak. Game on.
Don’t leave anything to chance.
