What Went Wrong Against Michigan (Again) and Where Ohio State Goes from Here

Real Pod Wednesdays

It’s not quite as easy to pinpoint what went wrong against Michigan this time around.

In 2021, Ohio State lost because it couldn’t run the ball or stop the run. In 2022, Ohio State lost because it gave up five touchdowns of 45 yards or more. This year, the Buckeyes needed to be just a little bit better across the board.

Unfortunately for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, there’s no moral victories in The Game. Ohio State was more competitive against Michigan this year than it was the last two years, but that doesn’t change the result nor does it lessen the scrutiny Ohio State’s head coach is currently facing.

We start this week’s episode by scrutinizing the loss ourselves and looking at why the Buckeyes came up short in Ann Arbor. Then, we look at where the Buckeyes could go from here in terms of coaching staff changes, transfer portal moves and more as they pick up the pieces.

Since the Buckeyes still have a slim possibility of making the College Football Playoff, we also take a look at this weekend’s conference championship games and make our predictions for what will happen in each one. Finally, we end the show on a more positive note as we look at the rising stock of Ohio State men’s basketball after its impressive performance in the Emerald Coast Classic.

The full rundown for this week’s show:

• 0:20: Four years ago, it seemed unfathomable Michigan would become this dominant in The Game
• 3:54: Ohio State’s defensive dominance in the first 11 games didn’t translate to the Michigan game
• 9:49: There wasn’t one singular reason why Ohio State lost, and that makes it tougher to swallow
• 15:57: Ryan Day coached too conservatively in The Game for the third year in a row
• 23:08: Ryan Day isn’t getting fired because of this loss, but it’s fair to question his big-game record
• 28:52: Ohio State’s special teams did nothing to take the heat off Parker Fleming
• 32:04: Beating Michigan will always matter, but the current conversation would be different next year
• 36:14: Promoting James Laurinaitis, adding a veteran offensive coach among potential staff moves
• 43:57: Ohio State isn’t likely to add a transfer quarterback, but it should have a QB competition
• 49:36: Offensive line, defensive line among positions where Ohio State could pursue transfers
• 52:56: Orange Bowl vs. Louisville isn’t the most exciting matchup, but it’s the most likely
• 58:56: What needs to happen this weekend for Ohio State to make the College Football Playoff
• 1:06:22: Our predictions for Power 5 conference championship games and who makes CFP
• 1:09:43: Growth of Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle Jr. a reason to believe in Ohio State basketball
• 1:13:57: Transfer additions off to a stronger start than Chris Holtmann’s previous transfer classes
• 1:16:21: Felix Okpara’s emergence as a consistent rebounder must continue