So, I was catching up with my cousin the other week, you know, just shooting the breeze. He’s a big Michigan fan, always has been, and I lean more towards Ohio State, so things can get a little heated, all in good fun, of course. We got onto the topic of the rivalry, “The Game,” as they call it.
Somehow, we landed on Ryan Day. My cousin was adamant, absolutely convinced, that Day had never managed to beat Michigan since taking over as head coach for the Buckeyes. I paused. I thought, “Wait a minute, that doesn’t sound quite right.” I felt like there was one win in there, but the last few years have been rough for OSU in that matchup, so maybe I was misremembering.
Digging into it
It started bugging me. You know how it is when you think you know something but aren’t 100% sure? So, later that evening, I decided I needed to check this properly. Didn’t want to just rely on memory.
- First, I just did a quick search online. Typed in something like “Ryan Day record vs Michigan”.
- Got a bunch of sports sites popping up immediately.
- Started clicking through game summaries and season records for Ohio State since Day took over full-time.
I specifically went back year by year in my head, trying to recall those games. 2023? Nope, loss. 2022? Loss again. 2021? That was another loss. Okay, I could see why my cousin was so confident. 2020? Ah, that game got cancelled, right. No matchup that year.
Finding the Answer
Then I got to 2019. And there it was. Clear as day. Ohio State beat Michigan that year. Pretty convincingly too, if I remember the score right. That was Day’s first season as the full-time head coach.
So, the answer is yes, he has beaten Michigan, but only that one time back in 2019. Since then, it’s been tough sledding for him in the rivalry game. It felt good to confirm I wasn’t totally losing my mind. Of course, I had to text my cousin right away with the proof. He wasn’t thrilled, but hey, facts are facts! It just goes to show how intense that rivalry is, and how much weight each game carries, especially for the coaches.
