Wolverine Digest

The Buckeyes know what's at stake for Ryan Day against Michigan

Chris Breiler|
Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Michigan Wolverines

Under normal circumstances, the matchup between Michigan and Ohio State next weekend would carry massive implications for the conference championship and College Football Playoff. But given Michigan's struggles in 2024, the only thing on the line next Saturday is pride - at least for the Wolverines.

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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

While Ohio State dominated the rivalry for the better part of two decades, it's Michigan that has come out on top in the rivalry over the last three meetings. The success by the Wolverines has put a tremendous amount of pressure on Ryan Day to get the job done on Nov. 30, and his team knows it.

Here's what some of the Buckeyes had to say ahead of the matchup with Michigan:

Jack Sawyer, DE - Senior

"It's been tough. It's tough what I had to see (Ryan Day) go through. I've said it to him 1,000 times — I've committed to him 1,000 times over. I love Coach Day to death. There's no one I want this win more for than him and his family and the brothers I go to battle with every day," he said. "The stuff that we've had to go through the last three years is nonsense. We can't wait to get out there and play this next week."

Will Howard, QB - Senior

"I want this for (the veterans) so bad. They've been here. I've seen it from a distance. I feel it, and I am a part of it now, and I want this for me, too, but I want this for those guys. I want it for Coach Day — to shut up the haters and be able to go out there and say, 'This is The Ohio State Buckeyes,'" he said. "This rivalry game means everything. We talk about it all the time. It's all over the place in our building. I'm honored to be a part of it. I won't take it lightly. This is the biggest game of our season. I'm looking forward to it."

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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