'THE Game' is now just another game

As college football continues to evolve in the world of the transfer portal, NIL, conference realignment and an expanded playoff format, the devaluing of the greatest rivalry in all of sports has officially begun.

Prior to Ohio State losing its fourth straight to Michigan on Nov. 30, the hype surrounding that matchup between the two heated rivals was at an all-time high for the Buckeye faithful. While Michigan was struggling in the wake of losing Jim Harbaugh and 18 key contributors to the NFL, Ohio State had assembled a $20 million 'championship-or-bust' roster. Heading into Nov. 30, the overwhelming belief among analysts and fans was that the Buckeyes were going to destroy the Wolverines in Columbus.

That didn't happen.

As a three-touchdown favorite, Ohio State proceeded to get bullied by a 6-5 Michigan team that had one of the worst performing offensive units in the country. By the time the clock hit 0:00, the Wolverines were once again celebrating at midfield, planting the Block M flag on the 50-yard line.

In the days that followed, #FireRyanDay was trending all over social media, with the leading voices in that effort coming from the Buckeye faithful themselves. While his overall record was impressive, Ryan Day's inability to produce wins in the greatest rivalry in all of sports was just too much to bare for a good portion of Ohio State's fanbase.

But just 52 days removed from that loss on Nov. 30, we're now hearing a much different message from the folks in Columbus, as well as national media figures. What was once considered a "must-win" game every single year in November has now become just another game. Now that they've experienced a national championship without it, many within the Buckeye fanbase have openly proclaimed that the 'The Game' simply doesn't matter as much. Worse yet, national media figures are now starting to drive that narrative as well.

In a postgame discussion between Scott Van Pelt and Rece Davis following the national championship, both analysts pushed the idea that the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State means less now. In fact, Davis went as far as to say that Ohio State should consider taking down the countdown clocks and all of the messaging around the Wood Hayes Athletic Center surrounding that rivalry.

"It's fun for it to seem like it means everything until it's not fun anymore," Davis said. "And when you have this thing that he was 67-10 before this playoff or whatever, and you've got to fire him because of Michigan, it's nonsense. And it got in their heads too. But, you know, even I wonder... and sometime I want to talk to Ryan [Day] at some point in the off-season, they've got all that stuff in the Woody Hayes building. Countdown, THE rivalry, you know... all that stuff. Maybe you don't need to do that."

You can watch the full exchange below.

A LOT of irony in this video.

Michigan's win over Ohio State was 52 days ago, yet the good folks at ESPN are still discussing it. In fact, they've discussed it in all four games that the Buckeyes have played since losing to the Wolverines on Nov. 30.

Against Tennessee? They… pic.twitter.com/xXKonzBfPi
— The Winged Helmet (@TWH_Chris) January 21, 2025

While all of the change to college football can be exciting, it also comes at a cost. Yes, Ohio State was able to win a national championship after losing two games in the regular season, losing to Michigan, and failing to win (or even play for) a Big Ten Championship. Is that good for the sport? I suppose that depends on what side of the aisle you sit on. But what isn't good for the sport is destroying some of the traditions and rivalries that once made college football the greatest sport in the world.

Prior to the 2024 season, Buckeye captain Jack Sawyer made it clear that all of Ohio State's goals and aspirations for the season were riding on that matchup against Michigan in November. Not a conference title, not a national championship. For Sawyer, beating Michigan was the top priority. It's exactly the type of language you want to hear from a captain - a guy who grew up in Ohio, a guy who gets it.

"All of our goals and aspirations for the season rides on that one game in November..."#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/NmhGNJCCUO
— The Winged Helmet (@TWH_Chris) January 7, 2025

But after losing his final game against the Wolverines back in November, Sawyer (now 0-4 against Michigan in his career) stood on the field at Ohio Stadium and claimed it didn't matter. "You guys are done after this game, your season's over," Sawyer shouted at a group of Wolverines who were celebrating the upset win. Although he was technically wrong (the Wolverines went on to defeat No. 11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl), Sawyer's words were the first indication of a new mindset in Columbus when it comes to the rivalry with Michigan. With the playoffs on the horizon, the loss just didn't matter as much... even if you have to shout it through tears.

College football fans have been asked to accept and embrace plenty of changes in recent years. But at some point, this continuous inching toward an NFL-like product will eventually destroy so much of what made college football so special in the first place - the traditions, the rivalries, the stakes. And If 'The Game' is now just another game, then we should all take a real hard look at whether or not college football is headed in the right direction.

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