Why beating Michigan would alter Ryan Day's Ohio State legacy forever

While Ryan Day has coached the Buckeyes to a historic 81-10 record during his tenure, he only beat Michigan once. A win for him Saturday is a must if he wants to change how he is remembered as the Buckeyes' coach.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day motions from the sideline during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 22, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Buckeyes’ head coach, Ryan Day has won 81 of 91 games, putting him first all-time in win percentage among all college football head coaches.

Of the 10 games he has lost, four of them have come against the Wolverines.

No. 1 Ohio State is on a four-game losing streak against No. 15 Michigan, and on Saturday, looks to break that trend as they travel to Ann Arbor. For Day, this iteration of “The Game” feels pivotal for his legacy as an Ohio State coach. A win would reshape how the college football world views Day, while a loss would only cement him further into the narrative as the coach who can never beat Michigan, despite having a successful coaching career.

The first year Day took over the head coaching position from Urban Meyer, he did end up defeating the Wolverines 56-27 in 2019. The next year, “The Game” was not played due to a large number of COVID-19 cases among Michigan players.

Since then, the Buckeyes have lost every game despite being ranked higher in each matchup. Last year’s 13-10 Wolverines victory was perhaps the most embarrassing loss in recent memory for the Buckeyes, as they were favored by almost three touchdowns against unranked Michigan inside Ohio Stadium.

Heading into Saturday’s game ranking higher than the Wolverines once again, it is a must for Day to come away with the victory and avoid another humiliating upset. As was the case for another Buckeyes coach, who knows how many more losses Day’s legacy could take before that is all he is remembered for?

Ohio State’s program hasn’t struggled against Michigan this much since the John Cooper era, who coached Ohio State from 1988-2000. While Cooper coached a winning record of 111-43-4 with the Buckeyes, many remember his tenure for the terrible record he had against the Wolverines.

In 13 games against Michigan, Cooper finished with a 2-10-1 record, the worst win percentage of an Ohio State coach with a minimum of five games played against the Wolverines. Day currently sits as second-worst, 1-4.

Winning the first national championship for the Buckeyes since 2014 last season reduced much of the negative press about Day. However, as this year’s Michigan game inched closer and closer, the conversation of Day constantly falling to the Wolverines became a big talking point once again.

Even if Ohio State brings home a title this year, and the year after, that won’t be enough for Day’s reputation. Many inside Buckeye Nation look at “The Game” as the only matchup for Ohio State that matters, so winning championships and having a historic win percentage doesn’t mean anything unless you beat “That Team Up North.”

This Saturday, Day will have one of his best shots to take down the Wolverines thanks to Ohio State’s top-ranked defense and high-powered offense. Coming in as 10-point favorites, Day should feel confident in securing his first win in over 2,200 days, but if last year’s game is any indication, rankings and spreads don’t matter.