COLUMBUS, Ohio – It has become an annual Ryan Day cliché when he says the key to beating Michigan is running the ball and winning the turnover battle.

He said it last year after Ohio State lost in Ann Arbor. He said it again after Saturday’s 13-10 loss to Michigan, his fourth straight in the rivalry and one of the biggest upsets in series history.

“We have to run the ball, especially in this game,” said Day, who is now 1-4 against the Wolverines. “We didn’t succeed. We tried a few different schemes and couldn’t quite get into a rhythm, and that, along with turnovers and missed field goals, ended up being the difference in the game.”

Day has known this to be the case for four years. Yet every year, Ohio State enters the game against Michigan buckling under the pressure of the moment and the physicality of the Wolverines.

In 2021, Ohio State lost 42-27. In 2022, it was outscored 28-3 in the second half and gave up 252 rushing yards in a 45-23 loss. In 2023, Michigan was still the better team, rushing for 156 yards with an improved Ohio State defense in a 30-24 loss to the Buckeyes.

The 2024 season should be different. Things were actually different for Ohio State on defense, but the offense, which is Day’s brainchild, faltered again.

Yes, the offense dealt with a mountain of injuries, but Ohio State spent the entire year becoming more unpredictable and versatile under new coordinator Chip Kelly, only to put up 10 points and 77 rushing yards against a mediocre Michigan team achieve. It was the fewest points Ohio State has scored against an unranked team since 2011, when it lost 10-7 to Michigan State.

It is Day’s first loss to an unranked opponent. It is Michigan’s only ranked victory in a seven-win season. It was an unacceptable and inexcusable performance from Day that ended Ohio State’s chances of a Big Ten championship and a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State appeared unprepared on offense and was outpaced by Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. And if the result wasn’t enough proof that Ohio State has a mental block against Michigan, the brawl that followed put an exclamation point on it.

Ohio State’s loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl last year didn’t play a big role in the program’s overall plan. The loss to Michigan that knocked the Buckeyes out of the playoffs was the biggest game of the season, and Day left the game knowing something had to change.

Behind the scenes, there were player discussions about returning for another year to beat Michigan. Ohio State went all out, bringing back 11 key seniors – including Jack Sawyer, who captured the Michigan flag during the postgame brawl. It also added standout safety Caleb Downs (Alabama) in the transfer portal, along with quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State), center Seth McLaughlin (Alabama) and running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss).

Ohio State was touted as the offseason champion after reportedly spending $20 million on name, image and likeness to assemble arguably the most talented roster in the country. The players spoke openly about national championship expectations, but the program’s primary goal was to beat Michigan.

The result brought tears after the game from linebacker Cody Simon, who was one of the 11 returning players who will go without gold pants to secure a rival victory.

“I’m sorry, Buckeye Nation,” he said. “I failed you.”

Simon has nothing to regret. It depends on the day.

He stepped away from game management to become the program’s CEO and let Kelly, his mentor and coach, whom he trusts more than anyone, run the game. Known for his innovative thinking on offense, Kelly was expected to bring an outside perspective to the program to help the Buckeyes overcome Michigan’s woes. Instead, the same problems arose.

Ohio State couldn’t handle Michigan’s defensive line. Starting left tackle Josh Simmons was out, as was McLaughlin, but that’s no excuse for running for 77 yards. It’s been four years and Ohio State has no answer for the lack of depth and productivity along the offensive line.

Not only was Ohio State dominated by the Michigan defensive line, but it never got back to what it had thrived on: speed and aggressive play in the two-minute drill before halftime.

After getting the ball inside Michigan’s 20-yard line through an interception on downs in the third quarter, Ohio State shrank again. On first down, it ran for no yards, threw a cross-field pass to Gee Scott Jr. that Michigan stopped for zero yards, and then faced a third-and-10 at the 16-yard line. The Buckeyes executed a halfback draw. It meant giving up, settling for a field goal, or hoping that Michigan was expecting a pass and TreVeyon Henderson could break through a big run. He was stuffed for no gain and Ohio State kicked.

One problem with the deal is that Ohio State doesn’t have a kicker it can trust. Jayden Fielding then missed the 34-yard field goal, one of his two misses from less than 40 yards.

Ohio State found itself in a similar situation last week against Indiana when it struggled on fourth-and-10 on the Indiana 35-yard line and found Howard Carnell Tate for a conversion. The difference is that Ohio State knew it was better than Indiana and acted accordingly. There was no mental hurdle.

Ohio State has been aggressive most of the season, but when it has to play Michigan, it tends to hunker down and play conservatively. This is during the day.

“When a defense plays softer and holds back like they did in this game, you have to be able to take advantage of those down low and run the football,” Day said. “There were times when we put pressure on us, but you can’t force that. You have to be smart about what you do. …You have to act in other areas. Then let’s talk about balance. If you don’t have balance, here’s what happens.”

The touted running back tandem of Judkins and Henderson combined for 67 yards on 22 carries. Howard, who had been a real weapon in the red zone, never carried the ball inside the 20-yard line once and completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and four rushes for 10 yards. (That same day, the quarterback he replaced, Kyle McCord, threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns in Syracuse’s upset of Miami.)

Ohio State’s season isn’t over yet. It will be in the College Football Playoff, although there is uncertainty as to whether it will host a first-round game. It has three weeks to recover from the defeat and must also hope there are no suspensions as a result of the brawl.

But it’s hard to imagine that the pain of this loss won’t stay with this team for a long time.

This wasn’t just any loss. Everything Ohio State did this offseason was done to beat Michigan. But once again, Day has proven he has a Michigan problem – not a Jim Harbaugh problem, not a Connor Stalions problem or a Sherrone Moore problem. A Michigan problem.

“Everyone wants to win this game so badly – ​​no one wants to win more than us,” Day said. “It’s our top goal every year. If you don’t do that, there will be disappointment and frustration. I don’t blame anyone for being upset. I’m more upset than anyone. These players are too, and so are the coaches.”

Michigan has a mental advantage over Day, and until proven otherwise, Ohio State fans will wonder if he is the man for the job.

(Top photo: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)