Simon was the first of 11 Buckeye seniors to announce his return to Columbus last season, and their main reason for returning to the field was to beat the Michigan team that knocked them out the previous three years. But Simon stood in front of the microphone with tears in his eyes, tapping his fingers with emotion and struggling with what had just unfolded in a 13-10 home loss to the Wolverines.

“I can’t really speak to everyone else, but I just feel like I let your guys down, let the entire Buckeye Nation down,” Simon said. “We could have done more – I don’t know. We simply could have done more. Let yourself down. I’m sorry.”

While Ohio State had already essentially secured a spot in the College Football Playoff, that’s no consolation to the Buckeyes’ players, coaches or fans tonight. It shouldn’t be. Saturday night will be about processing what happened on the field in “The Game,” especially for the seniors – old and new – who will end their Ohio State careers winless against the Wolverines.

“It’s hard, man,” quarterback Will Howard said. “I don’t really have much (to say) at the moment. I know we are a two-loss team. We’ll get to the playoffs and make a breakthrough there, but I mean, it hurts. It hurts.”

If that’s even possible, Ohio State’s loss to Michigan may be even more disappointing because it had a chance to close the circle.

After Howard threw his second interception – which led to the Buckeyes failing to score points in the red zone for the third time on Saturday – Michigan delivered its second long drive of the game against an OSU defense that was doing everything it could to keep the team shut carry. It felt like death by 1,000 paper cuts as the Wolverines rushed for 77 yards on 15 plays and ate up more than nine minutes of time in the third and fourth quarters.

Then, on that 15th play, a 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard line, senior defensive end Jack Sawyer dropped into coverage and dove to pick off Michigan quarterback Davis Warren.

CAPTAIN JACK WITH THE INTERCEPTION

INCREDIBLE GAME FOR @OHIOSTATEFB pic.twitter.com/RLD2Qwa3Tc

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 30, 2024

Sawyer and Simon joined Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, Ty Hamilton, Jordan Hancock, TreVeyon Henderson, Donovan Jackson, Lathan Ransom, JT Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams as rising seniors with NFL draft stock returning to Ohio State in 2024. Sawyer is an Ohio native from Pickerington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. He is a lifelong Ohio State fan and grew up watching the Michigan rivalry. He helped spur his teammates’ return.

But that would be the last moment of joy for Buckeye fans on Saturday in Columbus. Ohio State ran three plays and was eliminated on its next drive, Michigan marched 57 yards in 11 plays and kicked a go-ahead field goal with 45 seconds left, and OSU’s last chance for possession went out of bounds after four plays.

“I never thought this would happen here,” Ryan Day said. “We expected to win this game and then go to the Big Ten Championship Game, but none of that happened. So we don’t know what’s going on now. It’s just too early to find out what’s next. As soon as we have more information, we will clarify this part in about a week. I’ll get them together here soon and talk to them. But there are a lot of people who are devastated right now.”

This was also an all-in season for Ohio State. The Buckeyes spent millions of zero dollars to acquire an elite transfer portal and allow their senior class to return. Howard was among the portal acquisitions, as was safety Caleb Downs, who intercepted a pass at Michigan’s 16-yard line, only for his team’s offense to manage zero yards in three plays and miss a 34-yard field goal. Downs finished the game with 11 tackles in addition to his interception.

Howard has become one of the leaders of the Buckeyes team after transferring to quarterback from Kansas State. But whether his two picks shook his confidence or whether the big hit he took in the second quarter that caused him to leave the game and get back into the game affected him the entire time, he showed against the Wolverines the worst performance of his Ohio State career. He completed 19 of 33 (58%) for 175 yards, just 5.3 yards per attempt.

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Going into the game, there was no doubt about Howard’s will to win. He wanted a win like everyone else for the seniors, who have now lost all four games against Michigan. He is a senior himself, although this was his only time on the field for The Game.

“It’s hard right now,” Howard said. “I don’t know if I have the answer to that at this moment. But I will get together with my family and regroup. And man, I still love this team. I still love this university. And I’m just – I’m sorry. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to be a Buckeye and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to do it.”

Like every great tragedy, it ended in despair and ugliness. The Buckeyes’ seniors watched the seconds tick by before their final chance to achieve two of their three goals for the year – beating Michigan and winning the Big Ten – then a brawl broke out as Michigan attempted a flag to hoist in midfield.

Since Ohio State had failed to win the game several times in the second half, boos rained down from the crowd at the Shoe. Day didn’t blame her for her anger.

“Everyone really wants to win this game,” Day said. “Nobody wants to win it more than us. And it is our top goal every year. And if you don’t do that, disappointment and frustration ensue. So I don’t blame anyone for being upset. I’m more upset than anyone. And so are these players, and the coaches and everyone who is there. And we know what we’re getting into here.”