Rivalry Edition - November 17, 2022

Past and present Ohio State coaches’

MENTALITIES AND approaches to ‘The Game’

CASEY SMITH LTV Sports Producer

Rivalry games are circled on the calen dars of college football programs every year.

For Ohio State-Michigan – which mul tiple former Buckeyes coaches and play ers called the greatest rivalry in sports –is circled, highlighted, written in bright shiny marker and given all the attention year-round.

Different coaches have taken different approaches to “The Game,” but no mat ter the strategy, victory was always on the minds when playing the Wolverines.

Here’s how each of the past seven Ohio State coaches felt and approached coach ing for the Michigan game.

Woody Hayes (1951-78), record against Michigan: 16-11-1

Before Woody Hayes arrived at Ohio State in 1951, the Buckeyes totaled just 12 wins against Michigan in 47 tries. After Hayes’ departure in 1978, the program had more than doubled its win total against the Wolverines.

Former linebacker Arnie Jones said a reporter asked Hayes at Ohio State’s weekly media availability what he was going to do to energize the players for the Buckeyes’ matchup against Michi gan.

“Woody turns around, looks at him and goes, ‘Son, if you have to fire anybody up for the Michigan game, they shouldn’t be playing,’” Jones said.

Former quarterback Burdette Schnei der said Hayes treated “The Game” like it “was any other week.” He said he didn’t have animosity toward the Wolverines, but “knuckled down” for the rivalry matchup at the end of the year.

Jones, a team captain in 1974, said Hayes always told the team he didn’t want “Wednesday All-Americans” — a player who didn’t play as well on Satur day as he did in the last tough practice of the week on Wednesday.

Jones remembers rivalry week prac tices under Hayes being not as physical ly intense compared to other weeks but more mentally demanding.

“If we’re playing Northwestern — I think our average score against them the three years I played was 60-0 — but we could have tough practices that week be cause it was just basically so obvious that we were going to win,” Jones said. “Mich igan was kind of the other way around. You want to save as much physical ener gy as possible, but go over the stuff men tally, so that you are as sharp as possible.”

Hayes was one of the pioneers in fo cusing on Michigan year-round, but Jones said it came with the offensive schemes of the time. He said most teams ran “I-formation, I-right, I-left with a slot back,” so despite the opponent that week, it was like the Buckeyes were preparing for Michigan.

The Buckeyes coach of 28 seasons had a stretch in which the rivalry was argu ably at its best: “The Ten Year War.”

Hayes and former Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler, who Jones said were like “father and son,” squared off in a string of games from 1969-78 in which all but one game had both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 and some sort of cham pionship or postseason implications.

Earle Bruce (1979-87), record against Michigan: 5-4

Earle Bruce was tabbed as Hayes’ successor in 1979, but took a similar ap proach to “The Game” as his predecessor.

Bruce worked under Hayes from 196671 as an offensive line coach, then later a defensive backs coach.

Former Buckeyes offensive lineman Jim Lachey said Bruce had “a lot of the Woody stuff” in his approach to the ri valry.

“There’s always a lot of pressure that game, but I think it all came from Woody,” Lachey, who color commentates Ohio State football games on 97.1 The Fan, said. “Just the way he kind of had that tradition, the way him and Bo went and fought during the ’70s.”

When Lachey arrived to the program in 1981, he said the importance of the ri valry was emphasized “on day one.”

He said Bruce would have each game written on the calendar with a “capital letter for the first one,” but Michigan was written in “all bold letters.”

The Cumberland, Maryland, native knew the importance of the rivalry and made it a point of focus throughout the year, Lachey said.

“There probably wasn’t a day gone by that we didn’t talk about that rivalry, and what we had to do and how we had to be ready to win that,” Lachey said.

Lachey said Bruce knew that “if coach es lost three in a row to Michigan, you’re getting fired,” and in his tenure he never did.

In 1979, Bruce stepped in, and in his debut against Michigan, led the Buck eyes into Ann Arbor and emerged victo rious, 18-15.

After a fast 3-1 start against Michigan, Bruce lost three of the next four games before a best-of-nine finale in his Ohio State coaching career.

The Buckeyes coach had a proposition for his players every year.

“He always talked about, ‘Hey, you can lose some games, but if you beat Mich igan, you can walk down High Street when the game is over,’” Lachey said. “‘If you lose, you got to go down Pearl Alley.’”

John Cooper (1988-2000), record against Michigan: 2-10-1

The John Cooper era against Michigan was one most Buckeye fans would like to forget, as the Powell, Tennessee, native landed just two wins in 13 tries — but only three losses by more than 10 points.

ABC and ESPN analyst and former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit said Cooper and his staff tried different tactics in their approach to Michigan week.

“It became like a helmet game for us even when we had a better team,” Herb streit said. “Sometimes we tried to real ly make it a special week and make it its own season, and that didn’t work. Other times they would downplay it like, ‘Oh, it’s just another game.’”

Herbstreit said Cooper even tried to take a philosophical approach.

“He read a Francis Schmidt, ‘They put their pants on just like us,’ about the gold pants,” Herbstreit said.

Despite Cooper’s struggles against the Wolverines, he understood the impor tance and history of the rivalry, as well as the implications on postseason play.

“We put a lot of emphasis on the Mich igan game. A lot of people didn’t believe we did,” Cooper said. “Now we didn’t have a clock saying how many hours it’s going to be before you play, because the next game you’re playing is the most im portant game.”

The 13-year head coach said there was never a bad Michigan team he lost to, and in order to defeat the Wolverines, “You got to play your butt off and don’t beat yourself.”

After every game — win or lose — Coo per said he would invite the assistant coaches and their wives over to his house that night to bask in the victory or rehash why the Buckeyes came up short.

Cooper recalled the night following his first victory over the Wolverines in 1994.

“We celebrated. Let’s put it that way, we celebrated,” Cooper said with a slight chuckle.

Jim Tressel (2001-10), record against Michigan: 8-1

Following Cooper’s tenure of strug gles against Michigan, Ohio State turned to Jim Tressel who, at the time, had just completed a 15-season tenure at Youngstown State.

The Mentor, Ohio, native’s first speech came Jan. 18, 2001, at St. John Arena, and he wanted to make a statement.

Tressel gave a speech assuring Buck eye Nation they would be “proud of our young people” in “310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the football field.”

“I grew up in Ohio, so I know the im portance of that game, and I wanted to make sure that everyone around here knew that I knew the importance of that game and that we were going to do well,” Tressel said. “And we did.”

Hayes went 4-5-1 in “The Ten Year War” with the 10-10 tie going to a com mittee vote that sent Ohio State to the Rose Bowl over Michigan.

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Bruce led the Buckeyes to a 23-20 vic tory at Michigan Stadium, following in Hayes’ footsteps and ending his career against the Wolverines above .500.

“If you coach at Ohio State, it’s got to be the biggest rivalry in sports. There’s no question about it from our stand point,” Cooper said. “Now, most other people around the country, there’s a lot of big rivalries. USC-UCLA’s a big rivalry — those teams are 15 miles apart — Ari zona-Arizona State’s a big rivalry, Okla homa-Oklahoma State’s a big rivalry, Auburn-Alabama’s a big rivalry. There’s a lot of big rivalries, but none bigger than Ohio State-Michigan.”

Cooper said Michigan was a weekly focus, but he didn’t want to “overlook an opponent just because you’re playing Michigan at the end of the year.”

Prior to the 2001 matchup, Ohio State was on a two-game losing streak to Mich igan and had lost five of the last six to the Wolverines. But Tressel led the Buckeyes to Michigan Stadium and delivered on his promise, scoring a 26-20 victory — a win that would flip the script on the state of the rivalry.

LANTERN FILE PHOTO

Former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel waves to the fans during a game against Michigan Nov. 24, 2012, at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 26-21.

Former wide receiver Anthony Gon zalez said Tressel “changed the tone” of “The Game” because he “understood the importance of the rivalry.”

“He had us focused on it year-round, and then certainly the week of, real ly made sure that it was a special week for us, so we always came in prepared,” Gonzalez said. “He was such an amazing leader not just that week, but across the board. And, you know, one of the things I’m most grateful for in my life is that I got to play four years with coach Tressel, and so he’s just such a special man.”

Tressel dominated Michigan, winning eight of 10 against the Wolverines as the 2010 victory was vacated due to NCAA violations.

Of those wins, a 2006 42-39 triumph at Ohio Stadium in what was later called “The Game of the Century” to send the Buckeyes to the national championship against Florida, was arguably the most memorable.

“At the moment that game is played, it’s the biggest thing going on in the world,” Tressel said. “Regardless if it was send ing us to the national championship or maybe just getting our program turned around in ’01, so it’s hard to pick one of those wins over the other.”

Luke Fickell (2011), record against Michigan: 0-1

After Tressel’s resignation in May 2011, Luke Fickell assumed head coaching du ties for the upcoming football season.

The program was in a turnover peri od and struggled mightily, carrying a 6-5 record into the Michigan game — their worst record heading into rivalry week since 1999.

But that didn’t matter to Fickell.

“I remember, you know, there were people coming in just before meetings, or maybe a little late to meetings, I mean, him going off like, ‘What is this? This is Michigan week. Show respect for the ri valry,’” former Ohio State punter Ben Bu chanan said.

Four of the Buckeyes’ five Big Ten losses entering the Michigan game were by one score, and Ohio State didn’t have much to lose as it was bowl eligible, but nowhere near a New Year’s six berth.

Buchanan said he appreciated how Fickell held himself as well as the players equally accountable.

He said Fickell “coached hard, tooth and nail until the very end,” centering the Buckeyes with a message to the team the week of “The Game.”

“I just remember him saying, ‘Cer tainly we play for Columbus, we play for Buckeye nation,’ but he’s like, ‘Right now, you can feel a lot of the noise out side of these walls,’” Buchanan said. “He’s like, ‘We need to play for the men inside this room, you know, inside the Woody Hayes. Play for your brother. Play for one another.’”

Buchanan said he believed Fickell, be ing a Columbus native, influenced how much he cared about the rivalry because “it just hits that much closer to home.”

In Fickell’s lone try at the Wolverines, the Buckeyes’ one-point halftime lead was erased in the second half as they were outscored 17-10. Former quarterback Braxton Miller’s potential game-winning drive was stymied with an interception on fourth and 6, snapping Ohio State’s then-six-game winning streak.

Urban Meyer (2012-18), record against Michigan: 7-0

Following Fickell’s one-and-done sea son, Ohio State turned to Urban Meyer, who won two national championships with the Florida Gators, to right the ship.

Buchanan said Meyer stepped in, did not care about the previous success at Ohio State and “laid the hammer down” on the Buckeyes.

“We had to earn the right to get dressed in the locker room. Like, ‘Hey, who are you? I don’t know you. I need to get to know you,’ — even though we might have been top 10 in the country in punting in 2011,” Buchanan said. “‘Well, I don’t know you, so do these bear crawls, do this.’ You know, you got to prove yourself before you can even get into the locker room to be called a Buckeye.”

Meyer’s “prove-it-to-me” attitude car ried on the foundation Tressel had laid in prioritizing a Michigan game victory, and Meyer dominated the Wolverines, scoring a perfect seven wins in seven tries.

Perhaps Meyer’s intensity during the Michigan week was part of the reason why.

Buchanan said the Woody Hayes Ath letic Center would undergo a makeover the week leading up to “The Game” and play one song: LL Cool J’s “It’s Time for War.”

“It would have that on repeat over and over, and have our plasma screens just like games in which Michigan defeated Ohio State or just showing some intensi ty in the rivalry,” Buchanan said. “It was breakfast, lunch, dinner, you eat, sleep, drink the rivalry for that week.”

Buchanan noted a more symbolic tra dition that Meyer instilled in 2012 upon entering the Woody Hayes Athletic Cen ter, as well.

“Coming into the Woody, they would put jerseys down on the ground, and we had to walk on maize and blue jerseys,” Buchanan said.

Buchanan said there was all a purpose behind everything the Buckeyes did leading up to “The Game.”

“It was just like, ingrained to you just how big this is,” Buchanan said. “It defi nitely wasn’t one of those things like, ‘Hey, you know, let’s get out there. Let’s give it our best stuff and let the chips fall where they may.’ It was, ‘No, this is The Game. You better win it or else,’ type of a thing.”

Meyer coached in some classic Ohio State-Michigan games as well.

In 2013, former offensive lineman Mar cus Hall was ejected for participating in a fight and flipped off the Michigan crowd. Then, in the game itself, former safety Tyvis Powell intercepted Michigan quar terback Devin Gardner’s pass on a twopoint conversion attempt, as the Buck eyes won 42-41 — a game which Meyer said postgame was “an instant classic.”

Then three years later at the ‘Shoe, the infamous “J.T. was short” game — a topfive matchup with College Football Play off implications — took place.

In overtime, former quarterback J.T. Barrett carried a fourth and 1 to the left side of the line and was granted debat able first down yardage, but the call stood after review. On the next play, Curtis Samuel took a 15-yard carry to the house and Ohio State claimed a 30-27 victory.

Finally in 2018, Michigan was in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten East. However, the Buckeyes played spoiler behind Dwayne Haskins’ six touchdown passes and Chris Olave’s coming out party, in which the then-freshman wide receiver had two touchdown receptions and a blocked punt, as Ohio State won 62-39.

Ryan Day (2019-present), record against Michigan: 1-1

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day has had one of the more rollercoaster starts against Michigan in recent Ohio State head coaching history.

Day went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2019, and behind eight touchdowns — four through the air by Justin Fields and four on the ground from J.K. Dobbins — throttled the Wolverines 56-27.

In 2020, “The Game” was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Wolver ines’ program — the first time since 1917 that Ohio State and Michigan didn’t play each other in a season.

Then last season, the Buckeyes went back up to The Big House where former Michigan running back Hassan Haskins ran for five touchdowns in its 42-27 win Nov. 27, 2021.

The loss snapped Ohio State’s theneight-game win streak and marked the first time since Cooper’s tenure that a Buckeyes skipper hadn’t won his first two renditions of “The Game.”

Day said his adrenaline was “going now” on the Tuesday before last year’s Michigan game.

Third-year offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. said he noticed Day had an increased intensity, not just during the week leading up, but any time the Wol verines were the topic of discussion.

“I feel like that’s just how you have to be during that week. I mean it’s kind of like that year-round, it’s more than just that week,” Johnson said. “You know, whenever we talk about that team, that program, it’s a different type of demean or.”

Day said Nov. 8 the Buckeyes are “working on that game every day of the year.”

Johnson said Ohio State has “team up north” periods during practice that’s geared towards getting the right mental ity for the game.

“Just practicing for the style of defense, and then what we’re doing is just about the violence of the drill,” Johnson said. “Then, just that coming off and just at the line of scrimmage, I feel like that’s what it’s about.”

Day will get his shot to avenge last year’s loss Nov. 26 when the Buckeyes host the Wolverines at Ohio Stadium for the first time in four years.

Day said Thursday on 97.1 The Fan the “No. 1 goal is to beat them.”

Just doing my job’:: Boren,, PHOTOGRAPHER reflect on 10 years since rivalry sack photo

JACOB BENGE

Sports Editor

Nearly six minutes remained in the second quarter when Michigan quarter back Devin Gardner rolled to his left in play action.

Ohio State trailed then-No. 19 Mich igan 14-10 during the matchup Nov. 24, 2012, and the Wolverines offense took the field for the first time since taking the lead on their previous possession.

On first down and 10 yards to go, Buck eyes linebacker Zach Boren moved to his left where he saw an opening along the right side on the line of scrimmage.

Gardner circled and trotted to his right, and Boren, who said “I shouldn’t have been blitzing,” sped forward through the gap.

“I remember there being a little bit of a run fake,” Boren said. “It’s one of those things where I took a chance, went and made a play. At that point in the game, I know it was a really tight game and some thing, honestly, I was just doing my job.”

Boren sacked Gardner for a loss of 9 yards, standing in the backfield with his arms flexed and becoming part of a pho to epitomizing the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan.

“Undefeated” read the headline in the Nov. 26, 2012, print edition of The Lan tern. It accompanied the photo of Boren taken by former Multimedia Editor Cody Cousino and led into the game story re capping the Buckeyes’ 26-20 win that completed their 12-0 season under thenfirst-year head coach Urban Meyer.

Cousino said covering the game and producing the Lantern edition was a “huge team effort,” noting that former Managing Editor for Content Michael Perriat and Managing Editor for Design Jackie Storer were among those who helped prepare the photo and newspaper for distribution.

Cousino said he remembered how cold it felt on the field, but as he sat crosslegged beyond the end zone, he realized he captured a moment that encapsulated the legacy of the Ohio State and Michi gan rivalry.

“I just remember snapping that pho to and knowing that I got it immediate ly and knowing it was just a fraction of a second that he was standing over the quarterback,” Cousino said. “But I knew that moment frozen looked as overpow ering as it did.”

Boren comes from a family with a foot ball background. His father, Mike Boren, played linebacker at Michigan in the 1980s and ranks No. 9 in program history with 369 career tackles.

Zach Boren’s older brother Justin Boren spent two seasons at Michigan from 2006-07 before completing his col lege career at Ohio State from 2009-10. Jacoby Boren played along the offensive line at Ohio State in the 2010s.

Zach Boren said he learned the impor tance of “The Game” when he was young, watching his father compete at Michigan and attending events leading up to kick off on Saturdays. When he was offered to play at Ohio State, Zach Boren said “it was a dream come true.”

“It was my favorite game to play in ev ery single year,” Zach Boren said. “People come to Ohio State to play in that game and to win Big Ten championships and national championships, but that game just meant so much to me.”

The path toward Zach Boren’s sack in 2012 began with a position change mid season.

Zach Boren played running back at the beginning of his Buckeye career and entered the 2012 season as one of Ohio State’s captains and starters on offense. He said Meyer approached him after Week 6 about a potential switch across sides of the ball to linebacker. Zach Boren, who played the position growing up, said he was “all for it” because it gave him a chance to do something similar to his father.

“It was like one of those things where I always idolized him and wanted to be just like him, and so having the opportunity to go to the defensive side of the ball, I was all in,” Zach Boren said.

Having become part of a number of photos that capture the intensity be hind the Ohio State and Michigan rival ry, Zach Boren said people still ask him about the play, but he can’t wait to share moments about his football career — and rivalry photo — with his children in the future.

“It’s one of the things that I still don’t quite understand the magnitude of,” Zach Boren said. “For them to look back and be like, ‘Man that’s dad making that play,’ I’m sure that I will understand it a little bit more, but right now, I look at it, and I’m like, ‘Man, it was just me making a play.’”

After several years around the NFL following his career at Ohio State, Zach Boren said he now helps oversee Boren Brothers Waste Services, which offers resources such as dumpsters and trash and recycling assistance, according to its website.

Zach Boren said he’s “loving life” work

ing around Columbus and living near his alma mater.

“I love it. Each and every day is a dif ferent day,” Zach Boren said. “It kind of reminds me of a football team again. You’ve got so many people doing differ ent jobs, and it’s all about coming togeth er, and everyone is accountable for what they do, so it’s kind of the same thing on the field.”

Zach Boren said he stills attends most home games at Ohio Stadium, and this season presents the first matchup be tween Ohio State and Michigan in Co lumbus since 2018.

Despite Ohio State coming off its first loss to the Wolverines in 10 years, Zach Boren said he knows the Buckeyes are “hungry to change that taste in their mouth.” He said he “can’t wait” for the two teams to meet again, where perhaps a play or moment may become as lasting as his sack from 2012.

“When ‘The Game’ got canceled in 2020, I just felt like the season wasn’t even a season,” Zach Boren said. “It’s not a real Ohio State football season without that game at the end of the year, so for that game to happen in Columbus for the first time in four years, I know it’s going to be wild.”

Buckeye Nation since

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CODY COUSINO | LANTERN FILE PHOTO

Down four with six minutes left in the second quarter, Ohio State linebacker Zach Boren (44) blitzed up the middle and sacked then-Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner (12).

Ohio State Marching Band looks to soak in the moment in 118th edition of ‘The Game’

STEVEN KISHPAUGH Lantern Asst. Sports Editor

The historic rivalry football game be tween Ohio State and Michigan hasn’t been played in Ohio Stadium since 2018, and while it’s a dream come to life for many football players, there are other performers for whom this will be their first, or last time, playing the Michigan game in the ‘Shoe.

The Ohio State Marching Band is re nowned for its performances during games, and for many members, Nov. 26 will be the first time performing “The Game” in front of a home crowd. Crosbee Lisser, a fourth-year in music education and psychology who plays the mello phone, said she’s looking forward to the atmosphere of Ohio Stadium and hopes to add to the “home team advantage” brought by the fans.

“I’m really excited to just play for all the fans at halftime,” Lisser said. “It’s go ing to feel like we’re a part of that day. I think that’s what’s going to be really special, all the fans are going to come all riled up for this rivalry.”

Lisser is one of many members of the program, also known as “The Best Damn Band in the Land,” who has performed during the rivalry game in Michigan Stadium, but not the ‘Shoe. The football teams were scheduled to play in Colum bus in 2020, but Michigan canceled the matchup as a result of rising COVID-19 cases within the program.

Avery Voress, a fifth-year in zoology and sousaphone player, said the atmo sphere he experienced in Ohio Stadium during his first year was unlike anything he’s experienced since.

“Playing at home against Michigan, that was the loudest I think I’ve ever heard Ohio Stadium,” Voress said. “You know, everybody hates Michigan. But playing at home and then getting the win, and everybody storming the field, that was just amazing. That was a great experience.”

Voress will have the honor of dotting the ‘i’ Nov. 26 for the performance of “Script Ohio.” He said although the band has several performances before the Michigan game, he knows the prepara tion leading up is going to be intense.

For band members like Voress, the performance in the Michigan game is the final time they will perform in front of an Ohio State crowd. He said he gets the same “nerve wracking” feeling ev ery time he walks down the ramp, but he wants his final game to be perfect.

“I think that upcoming game, it’s defi nitely going to be reminiscent of the very first game,” Voress said. “Just because it’s my last one, I want it to be perfect. And I’m dotting the ‘i,’ and that needs to be perfect.”

Christopher Hoch, the director of Marching and Athletic Bands, said the band focuses on one routine for each

performance. But specifically for the upcoming Michigan game Nov. 26, the preparation is more intensive because of Ohio State’s Thanksgiving break week, giving the band half the normal time to work with.

“We take every performance that we do very seriously,” Hoch said. “Everything is kicked up a notch because this game means everything to Ohio State fans, it means everything to us and it means ev erything to the team. It’s special.”

Lisser is playing her first home per formance in the next rendition of “The Game,” and knows she and other fellow band members take pride in the reputa tion they’ve built and want to put on their best performance. She believes practice for rivalry week will be “the most intense challenge I’ve ever had as a band person.”

Despite that, she thinks the atmo sphere will be incredible, even more so

coming off last season’s loss.

“I’m looking forward to the atmo sphere,” Lisser said. “I’ve been looking forward to that my entire marching sea son. Getting to be in the stadium with all of those fans and getting to be a part of the whole rivalry. But having the home field advantage, I think is going to be amazing.”

Hoch also said while it will be a chal lenging week, he wants his students to soak in the moments in the stadium. For those whose final home performance will be Nov. 26, they will want to work extra hard to make it special, he said.

“You will remember that performance for the rest of your life,” Hoch said. “You’ll remember this game, that moment, your last time putting on the uniform in Ohio Stadium, and you’ll remember that for ever.”

Block ‘O’ making sure to ‘dot our I’s and cross our T’s’ for first rivalry game in Columbus since 2018

JACOB BENGE Lantern Sports Editor

Most Ohio State students haven’t wit nessed “The Game” between the Buck eyes and Wolverines at Ohio Stadium.

Sam King, a fourth-year in neurosci ence and vice president of the Block “O” student section, traveled to Ann Ar bor during his freshman year in 2019 and watched Ohio State play Michigan. He said the excitement built for when he could see “The Game” take place on campus as a student in Columbus for the 2020 season.

But the COVID-19 pandemic sent plans astray.

Not only could fans not witness the 2020 rivalry meeting, but “The Game” didn’t take place at all, as increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases among the Wolverines’ program forced its cancella tion, snapping a streak of 102 years.

“I was just kind of disappointed,” King said. “Excited to see it on our home turf — and then have our hopes dashed.”

Block “O” plans to pack the stands at Ohio Stadium Nov. 26 for the first meet ing between Ohio State and Michigan in the ‘Shoe since 2018.

Yusty Sanchez, a fifth-year in commu nication technology and Block “O” foot ball director, recalled when the Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines 62-39 during his first year at Ohio State. Sitting in Block “O” North and storming the field after the game, Sanchez said he could sense the pressure on campus before “The Game” in 2018.

“I can’t really put words together to ex plain what that game feels like there in the ‘Shoe,” Sanchez said. “That Monday, everyone’s here on campus, but you feel the tension in the air. Tuesday, Wednes day, Thursday, campus kind of dies. It be comes a ghost town. It’s really eerie just because of Thanksgiving, and then you see people slowly coming back Friday and then game day.”

Four hours before kickoff, the Block “O” student section arrives at Ohio Sta dium and sets up the traditional card stunts,

which collectively display a thematic image and has been tradition since the organization’s founding in 1938. Sanchez said they’re among the first inside on game day.

Preparation begins long before game day, Mackenzie Swartz, a fourth-year in psychology and president of Block “O,” said.

Come game week, Block “O” takes part in the Rivalry Run 2022 on campus Nov. 20 with a 1- and 3-mile course beginning near the RPAC, Swartz said. Block “O” will also partner with the Student-Alum ni Council and Ohio Staters to hold a ri valry rally at the Ohio Union Nov. 21.

“It’s kind of a once-in-a-lifetime op portunity for people — at least my year. This will be our only chance as students,” Swartz said. “You can already hear peo ple start talking about it, how excited they are, so I can’t wait. I think that week is just going to be electric.”

Both Ohio State and Michigan are on track to meet in Columbus with playoff implications, as both placed among the top-five teams in the first two College Football Playoff rankings.

With high stakes and as bitter of a ri valry, King said he can sense emotions trending in a particular direction come time to take part in “The Game” in per son.

“Everyone’s really excited,” King said. “All season, just kind of building up, espe cially with Michigan and Ohio State both being very good teams this year.”

Sanchez said preparation for Nov. 26 will be “business as usual” for the student section.

Overseeing both the Block “O” North and South sections, Sanchez said excite ment continues to build as Ohio State students get closer to witnessing “The Game” on campus for the first time in four years.

“For us, it won’t be any different,” San chez said. “It’s just making sure that we kind of dot our i’s and cross our t’s and make sure that from our perspective, we’re ready to go. Whether that’s the card stunt, any other logistics that we have for that game in particular, just so that when it’s kickoff, we’re rocking and rolling for that game.”

ZACHARY RILLEY | PHOTO EDITOR

Band members celebrate an Ohio State touchdown during then-No. 3 Ohio State’s 77-21 win over Toledo Sept. 17.

Opinion: Casey’s Callouts: Stroud’s Heisman fate will be decided against Michigan

CASEY SMITH LTV Sports Producer

Picture the scene: Ohio State trailing by four with just over two minutes to play in regulation.

The Buckeyes just got the ball back and must go the length of the field to win the game. Third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud does what he’s done all year — with the exception against Northwestern — leading a heroic drive as a game-win ning touchdown pass cements Ohio State as Big Ten East champions.

Fans rush the field, confetti flies, champagne rains down from the heavens and all is right in Columbus.

If you don’t want the close-game, heart-racing, sweaty-palm scenario, picture this one: Stroud throws for five touchdowns and leads the Buckeyes to an enforcing victory over a potential topfour team in the country.

Either way, it’s a win over No. 3 Mich igan, and Stroud rights the wrong from last year’s 42-27 loss and, barring a melt down in the Big Ten Championship, gives Ohio State the golden ticket to a College Football Playoff return.

And he just about guarantees himself the Heisman Trophy.

For as much emphasis as there is on having a Heisman moment — a point during a Heisman Trophy winner’s sea son in which he has an otherworldly, gutsy performance — Stroud’s fate will be decided Nov. 26 at Ohio Stadium.

Despite wins not being a quarterback stat, in the Heisman Trophy’s case, they are.

The Heisman Trophy is rarely award ed to a player who is on an 8-4 team, re gardless of how good he is or the impact he had in getting that team to eight wins.

Also, with college football’s shift to spread and air raid offenses, the Heisman Trophy is becoming a quarterback-cen tered award.

Since 2000, 18 of the 21 Heisman Tro phy winners have been quarterbacks, as former University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush had his award stripped due to NCAA violations.

Through 10 games this season, Stroud is tied for first in the Football Bowl Sub division in touchdowns at 34 and leads the country in quarterback rating at 188.16. His 2,750 passing yards rank No. 18 in the FBS, but the 17 players ahead of him all have more pass attempts.

The only player with a higher yardsper-attempt mark than Stroud is Ten nessee redshirt senior quarterback and fellow Heisman Trophy candidate Hen don Hooker.

Stroud currently leads the Heisman Trophy odds at +140, according to Draft Kings Sportsbook, with Hooker in sec ond at +350. Others chasing at Stroud’s heels include Michigan junior running back Blake Corum and North Carolina redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye both at +550.

Hooker is at a disadvantage because the Volunteers don’t control their own destiny to an SEC Championship and CFP appearance. Corum is a running back, and Maye hasn’t led the Tar Heels to any signature wins this season.

Stroud controls his own destiny.

Stroud and head coach Ryan Day have said the quarterback’s main focus is win ning games and not on outside accolades, but on Nov. 26, he could get two victories for the price of one.

If the Inland Empire, California, native leads the Buckeyes to a win over Michi gan, he’ll get his team win and hoist the

Heisman Trophy in New York Dec. 10.

However, if the Buckeyes lose their second-straight game to the Wolverines, Stroud’s odds of becoming the first Ohio State Heisman Trophy winner since Troy Smith in 2006 are up in the air.

Stroud is no stranger to the Heisman Trophy conversation, making the trip to New York last season and finishing fourth in the voting.

At last year’s ceremony, former Mich igan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said his goal was to “come back, was to beat Ohio State and win a Big Ten Cham pionship,” to which ESPN analyst Tim Tebow interjected and said, “Hey Ken ny [Pickett], I’m glad you’re in between” Hutchinson and Stroud.

Then former Michigan wide receiv er and ESPN analyst Desmond Howard jumped in and said Pickett was standing there “better than” Stroud’s “offensive lineman.”

Wouldn’t revenge be a dish best served cold? It will all come down to “The Game’s” result Nov. 26.

Blood

ZACHARY RILLEY | PHOTO EDITOR

Third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) enters Ohio Stadium before No. 2 Ohio State’s 54-10 win over Iowa Oct. 22 in Columbus.

A look back at Ohio State’s uniforms from

The GamE’

REID MURRAY Lantern Sports Reporter

From a 1954 national championship throwback in 2009 to a wolf-inspired away uniform in 2017, “The Game” has seen a wide variety of Ohio State uni forms in the last 13 years.

However, in the Buckeyes’ last three matchups with Michigan, they have only worn their default home and away uni forms, and fans shouldn’t expect to see unique looks when playing against the Wolverines any time soon.

Ohio State director of football equip ment services Kevin Ries said this trend is no coincidence, and tradition is a ma jor factor behind it.

“We’re at a different spot here where I think there’s a lot of tradition and a lot of traditionalists that are paying attention to what we’re wearing, so we’re cognizant of that and not trying to get outside the boundaries of our traditional look,” Ries said. “I think all of us here enjoy seeing the traditional scarlet and gray uniforms versus the maize and blue, so that has been a factor.”

Among those traditionalists is head coach Ryan Day.

“I like the traditional uniforms,” Day said. “I love that part of college football. I think that some of our players and re cruits like to see a different style and a different swag and look to the uniforms, and that’s great, but I’m more of a tradi tionalist.”

Since 2009, Ohio State has worn alter nate uniforms against Michigan seven times.

The first two of these alternates were throwbacks. The 2009 uniform was a white jersey with gray pants and a white helmet that paid homage to the 1954 na tional champion Buckeye team, and the 2010 uniform was inspired by the 1942 national champion team and featured a scarlet helmet and jersey with gray pants.

While Ohio State has worn four throw back jerseys against Michigan and two more in non-Michigan games, Ries said coming up with throwback designs in the future would be challenging.

“We were looking into throwbacks, and obviously we did the championship years for most of the throwbacks,” Ries said. “There’s not a lot in our theories and thoughts that we haven’t touched.”

The 2012 and 2013 alternates were part of a uniform set that was worn eight times from 2012 to 2014. In 2012, Ohio State played Michigan at home and de buted the scarlet version that featured a chrome helmet, gray numbers and en larged stripes on the helmet, jersey and pants. In 2013, Ohio State wore the away version, which used the same helmet and

an all-white jersey and pants combina tion.

In the 2014 season, in which Ohio State won the inaugural College Football Play off national championship, the Buckeyes stayed with their traditional home uni form and beat the Wolverines 42-28.

The 2015 and 2016 games saw throw backs to the 1968 national championship team, which has been worn in each of Ohio State’s four CFP appearances since. In the 2015 game, Ohio State wore the same away combination from its 42-35 2015 Allstate Sugar Bowl win against Al abama.

The 2016 game saw a slight change to the playoff uniform, as the classic silver helmet was swapped for the “cannonball” gray option that was worn earlier in the season in a 62-3 home win over Nebras ka. Ries said this uniform was the least planned of any Ohio State alternate, and it was not discussed leading up to the sea son.

“That was a player-driven push on that year,” Ries said. “With the black numbers, they liked the cannonball helmet, so it was black-ish in a sense. We obviously ran it through multiple administrations and obviously coaches and the leader ship team, and everyone kind of agreed

and signed off that it would be a good look.”

In 2017, Ohio State wore an all-white uniform with a dark gray pattern inside the jersey numbers, on the helmet and on the jersey and pants’ stripes. Ries said this uniform — and its gray counterpart worn in a 39-38 home win against Penn State — was originally pitched by Nike to embody a “wolf theme” that was present in the Ohio State football facility begin ning in the 2015 offseason.

While Ohio State has rolled out these unique looks against Michigan in the past, Buckeye fans should not expect such uniforms to hit the field against the Wolverines any time soon.

“I think for the foreseeable future, we’ll probably stay in our traditional scarlet and gray against team up north,” Ries said.

Like any college football program, Ohio State’s process of putting together uniforms is a collaboration between the team and its uniform supplier. Ries said Ohio State’s change in philosophy re garding uniforms in “The Game” comes from a larger change in Ohio State’s rela tionship with Nike.

“I think early on, it was just kind of that trend where Nike was more of a

Buckeyes look to maintain

to round out the season

STEVEN KISHPAUGH Lantern Asst. Sports Editor

The No. 2 Ohio State football team went into the 2022 season with a lot of questions surrounding talent, toughness and gameplanning. After a 42-27 loss to Michigan at the end of last season — its first since 2011 — the Buckeyes missed out on both the Big Ten Championship game and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Head coach Ryan Day made it clear he was dissatisfied with last season’s re sults during Big Ten Media Days in July. During the offseason, Day placed a focus on game preparation while ensuring the Buckeyes maintain “competitive stami na” through the season.

“You have to continue to do what you’re doing and get better every week,” Day said. “We want to play at a high level. That’s the goal here, so again, re ally shouldn’t matter who we’re playing against. And the competitive stamina is

driving factor in the alternate uniforms,” Ries said. “They were providing it for X amount of schools a year, so from a standpoint of getting the most eyeballs on something different, they’re going to look at the marquee matchups. Nike has kind of backed off and allowed the teams to be more hands on.”

Considering Day’s views on tradition, the future of Ohio State football uni forms will likely have an emphasis on preserving familiar appearances.

“I love the look that’s been in college football for a long time, certainly at Ohio State, in the jerseys that we’ve worn,” Day said. “But even just across the coun try, and all the different uniforms over the years, it’s just something about that that I like.”

competitive stamina

exactly what we talked about at the be ginning of the season, and we’ll continue to reiterate that.”

The Buckeyes new focus on maintain ing competitive stamina comes after an offseason full of turnover on both sides of the ball. Ohio State lost offensive weapons in former wide receivers Gar rett Wilson and Chris Olave to the NFL, and Day brought in defensive coordina tor Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State — alongside a slew of transfers — to over haul a defense that ranked in the bottom

half of the Big Ten in 2021.

Through nine games this season, the defense has vastly improved from a year ago. Ohio State ranks in the top 10 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring and total defense, averaging 15.6 points and 271.5 yards per game allowed.

Third-year safety Lathan Ransom said the team focuses on that competitive stamina and getting better each practice is ingrained in the culture.

ALEXA MAVROGIANIS | LANTERN FILE PHOTO

Ohio State redshirt freshman Mike Weber (25) scores the Buckeyes’ frst offensive touchdown of the day during the second half of the Buckeyes’ 30-27 overtime win against Michigan Nov. 26, 2016.

’

FROM PAGE 7

“Competitive stamina, it’s been here since I’ve been here,” Ransom said. “This season we have really started working that and just embracing that into our culture. I think we’ve definitely seen a change and definitely trending upward from last year.”

Second-year defensive lineman Tyleik Williams said the team plays every game “like we’re playing in the championship,” and the Buckeyes’ mentality of compet itive stamina has been ingrained into them by the coaches.

“Competitive stamina, making a play when your number is called,” Williams said. “Coach Day, he instills that every day, every practice, every team meeting.”

While the defense took massive strides forward, the Buckeyes offense remained the same, despite third-year wideout Jax on Smith-Njigba missing most of the sea son nursing a leg injury. Ohio State’s of fense is No. 1 in the FBS by scoring over 45 points per game, while its 501.9 yards of offense per game leads the Big Ten.

Second-year wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka are the primary reason the offense seamlessly filled the holes left behind by Wilson, Olave and Smith-Njigba. The duo have

combined for 1,801 yards and 19 touch downs, helping third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud to establish himself as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner.

However, third-year offensive lineman Luke Wypler said the team knows noth ing is guaranteed. After two regular sea son losses in 2021, he said the Buckeyes treat each matchup “like we’re 0-0.”

“Something we learned last year is that you’re not guaranteed next week,” Wypler said. “We’re not guaranteed any thing. The CFP rankings are great and all. We’re No. 2. They don’t mean any thing right now until January, December, whenever that first game is.”

Day said he prepares the team to “bring it every week,” and the three things Ohio State is focused on are “toughness, disci pline and skill.”

While the Buckeyes have lofty goals for the rest of this season, Egbuka said they must first accomplish a goal they missed last season.

“Every year we really have three goals, and the first goal is to beat the team up north,” Egbuka said. “We lost to them last year, so that’s always in the back of our minds. And we’re preparing for that game on an everyday basis, so we’re al ways focused on that game, and we’re ready to play.”

Stroud not listening to ‘outside noise,’ to lead Buckeyes into rivalry meeting with Michigan

JACOB BENGE

Lantern Sports Editor

Signs of leadership can shine through moments of adversity, and third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud showed just that in Ann Arbor last season.

Then-No. 5 Michigan defeated thenNo. 2 Ohio State 42-27 in Stroud’s first season as the Buckeyes’ starting quarter back in 2021. After the game, Stroud said he was “still proud of my guys.”

“I know people probably hate me for it, but at the end of the day, I know deep down in my heart I’ve put everything,” Stroud said. “Just know that I love this

team. I love Ohio State. I love Buckeye Nation. I know every single day I’m go ing to keep grinding just to get this win back.”

Stroud and Ohio State will get their chance at redemption against Michigan Nov. 26, this time at home inside Ohio Stadium in Columbus as one of the Buck eyes’ six captains.

Someone is Looking for You!

There IS a superior intelligence “out there” – and a loving one too. Your Creator wants you to acknowledge Him, and come to know Him and His ways. Don’t be deceived by evolutionism. All creation screams of intelligent design! The odds alone of DNA evolving are virtually nil. Evolutionism is the only “science” that denies the law of degeneration (entropy). God alone is the origin of life, and the true God wants/needs no one to take away life for Him – beware the “god” that does! What is unique about the Bible? It is the only book with fulflled prophecy (Isaiah 46:9-10). Try (current situation) Psalm 83 and Zechariah 12; (reformation of Israel after nearly 1900 years) Isaiah 66:8, Jeremiah 16:14-15, Amos 9:9-15, Ezekiel 34:12-31, and Ezekiel 36; (suffering/crucifxion of Christ) Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53; (future situation) Zechariah 13:7 – 14:21; (timing of the 2nd Coming of Christ) Joel 3:1-2, 2Peter 3:8/Hosea 5:14 – 6:2. “No one knows the day or the hour!” you cry? The Word says: 1Thessalonians 5:1-6. “Too hard to read and understand” you say? Try the KJV/ Amplifed/Complete Jewish parallel bible (biblegateway.com). “It’s all in how you interpret it” you say? The Bible, despite numerous transcribers over hundreds of years, is remarkably consistent/coherent and interprets itself (2Peter 1:16-21). Beware of modern, liberal translations from “the higher critics” which seriously distort the Word! Finally, if there is a God, why is there so much evil? We have rejected God, and now see what it is like to live in a world where God has permitted us (temporarily) to rule ourselves. Give up your lusts, and come to your Creator and follow His ways (Jude 1:18-25). All that this world has to offer is as nothing compared to what He has in store for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9, John 14:15). Isaiah 55:6-7!

Finishing last season as a Heisman Trophy finalist and with a 48-45 victory in the Rose Bowl, expectations have built around Stroud and Ohio State to elevate to higher standards in 2022. Stroud re mains in the race for college football’s top recognition, but he said what makes Ohio State special is how “resilient” the Buckeyes are.

“We don’t really listen to the outside noise,” Stroud said. “We do it for our brother, and we always say that before we go out. It’s just, ‘I’m doing everything. I’m putting my body on the line, put my heart on the line, my head, whatever the case may be just for my brother.’”

This season, Stroud could return to the stage among Heisman finalists as he en tered November among college football’s passing efficiency, touchdowns and yards leaders.

During Ohio State’s game at North western Nov. 5, strong winds and sporad ic rain forced Stroud and the Buckeyes to rely on running the football, which saw Stroud rush for a career-high 79 yards. Head coach Ryan Day said he praised Stroud for his ability to “find ways to win.”

“Listen, it’s no secret he’s a Heisman Trophy contender,” Day said. “There’s a lot of expectations, but to go into the game with just the goal of the win and to play tough the way he did says a lot about who he is, and his leadership and his de meanor meant a lot.”

Ohio State has relied on maintaining “competitive stamina” and brotherhood among Buckeyes this season, Day said.

Stroud often leads pregame huddles and voices encouragement for his team mates, and second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. said his quarterback provides a boost to those around him.

“He’s going to gather us together, give us a little message, give us confidence go ing into the second half and perform to the best of our abilities,” Harrison said. “Having a leader like C.J. really helps the whole team go. I don’t know where we would be without him.”

Second-year wide receiver Emeka Eg buka also pointed to the game Nov. 5 at Northwestern in which Stroud ran for more yards than he passed in unfavor able weather conditions. He said “it’s huge” for Stroud to demonstrate he’ll do what it takes for Ohio State to prevail when the clock reaches zeros.

“That just goes back to C.J. being a real leader and knowing what he needs to do in certain situations,” Egbuka said. “He wants to sling it downfield and stuff like that, but when the weather is permitting that, C.J. is able to run and gain us a lot of yards, so just being able to do that is just a testament to his leadership and knowing what his role is.”

Stroud is playing for a greater purpose this fall, dedicating this season to the late quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who was killed when hit by a dump truck in April.

With so much surrounding the mag nitude of Ohio State’s next game against Michigan and the Buckeyes’ season ex pectations overall, Stroud has stepped into a leadership role greater than last season. Despite “what everybody’s say ing” and the pressure, Stroud said he’s helping the Buckeyes to “focus on each other.”

“Nothing is ever going to be perfect, so really trying to help our team with not having any expectations,” Stroud said. “I think if we reach our team goals, all our personal goals will be accomplished.”

KATIE GOOD | ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

The Ohio State football team celebrates after a touchdown during the No. 2 Ohio State-No. 13 Penn State game Oct. 29. Ohio State won 44-31.

A dominant decade: ‘The Game’s’ horseshoe history

GABE BURGGRAF Asst. LTV Sports Producer

It’s been nearly four years since the Buckeyes welcomed Michigan to Ohio Stadium.

In 2020, “The Game” was canceled due to an increase in positive COVID-19 cas es within the Michigan program during the week leading up to the matchup.

Nonetheless, the ‘Shoe has proved a fortress for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes have only lost six games in the ‘Shoe since 2010, with two coming in 2011 under former head coach Luke Fickell and the most recent against Ore gon Sep. 11, 2021.

However, in the last five Ohio State-Michigan matchups south of Lake Erie, the Buckeyes have dominated the win column, victorious each game in their home stadium.

Let’s take a look back at the recent edi tions of “The Game” in the ‘Shoe: 2018: No. 10 Ohio State dominates No. 4 Michigan 62-39

Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins threw three first half touchdown passes, connecting with wide receiver Chris Olave for two before lofting one to a wide open Johnnie Dixon III, giving the Buckeyes a 21-6 lead in the second quarter

Wolverines quarterback Shea Patter son tossed two touchdowns of his own to keep Michigan within striking distance, cutting the lead to two before Blake Haubeil’s 19-yard field goal gave Ohio State a 24-19 lead at the break.

That was as close as it would get for Michigan, defensive back Sevyn Banks caught a blocked punt mid-air, return ing it 33 yards for an Ohio State touchdown, spurring 17-unanswered points as the Buckeyes stretched the lead to 41-19 headed to the final frame.

The Buckeyes and Wolverines scored two more touchdowns each in the fourth quarter, as Ohio State cruised to a 62-39 win.

Haskins was efficient through the air, completing 20 of 31 passes for 396 yards and six scores.

Patterson played well, completing 20 of 34 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns, but the Buckeyes offensive artillery proved too much to keep pace with.

2016: No. 2 Ohio State wins a battle of inches, outlasts No. 3 Michigan 30-27 in overtime

The Ohio State defense scored the first touchdown, pressuring Wolverines quar terback Wilton Speight into a rushed throw from his own end zone, then in tercepted and returned 16 yards by safe ty Malik Hooker to put the Buckeyes up 7-3 with just over four minutes left in the second quarter.

But Michigan answered, as running back Khalid Hill plunged over the goal line from the 1-yard line, giving the Wol verines a 10-7 lead at the half. Hill added an 8-yard receiving touchdown as Michi gan took a 10 point lead midway through the third quarter.

After Speight’s second interception of the day gave Ohio State great field po sition, running back Mike Weber dove over the goal line for a 1-yard score, cutting the deficit to three at 17-14 after three quarters.

Quarterback J.T. Barrett led the Buck eyes down to the Wolverine 6-yard line with 6 seconds left. Kicker Tyler Durbin’s 23-yard field goal attempt tied the game 17-all, deadlocking “The Game” at the end of regulation.

Barrett scampered in from the 7-yard line on the Buckeyes’ first overtime pos session, and the Wolverines threw for a score on fourth and goal to end overtime knotted at 24.

Ohio State forced a Michigan field goal on the first possession of the sec ond overtime period and on foruth and 1 from the 16, Barrett kept the ball on a read option, running left behind his tight end before being knocked down right on the line to gain.

The spot gave Barrett and the Buck eyes the first down, and after review, the play stood as called on the field, giving Ohio State a fresh set of downs from the 15-yard line.

On the next play, Buckeyes receiver Curtis Samuel took the handoff 15 yards untouched behind, pulling offensive line men to the endzone, ending the game in stantly with a touchdown, the final score reading 30-27 in favor of Ohio State.

Despite keeping pace with the Buck eyes on the scoreboard, the Michigan ground game only rushed for 93 yards on 43 attempts.

And despite Weber only gaining 26 yards on 11 attempts, the Buckeyes rushed for 206 yards and three touch downs. Barrett was only 15 of 32 for 124 yards through the air, throwing no touch down passes and one interception, but he rushed 30 times for 125 yards.

2014: No. 6 Ohio State feeds Ezekiel Elliott, runs to 42-28 victory over Mich igan

The tight end attack started early.

Both scores in the first quarter were receiving touchdowns, the first from Barrett to tight end Nick Vannett for a 6-yard score and the second from Mich igan quarterback Devin Gardner, who connected with tight end Jake Butt for 12 yards.

Michigan running back Drake John son and Barrett went back-and-forth, each rushing for two touchdowns. With “The Game” knotted up at 21 midway through the third quarter, Buckeyes run ning back Ezekiel Elliott tallied a 2-yard touchdown rush, propelling Ohio State to a 28-21 lead after the third quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Barrett was tackled behind the line, even tually being carted off with a leg injury.

On fourth and 1 at the Michigan 44yard line, Elliott burst through a hole on the left side of the line, sprinting 44 yards to the endzone to give Ohio State a two-possession, 35-21 lead with just un der five minutes left in regulation.

Linebacker Darron Lee recovered and returned a Gardner fumble 33 yards to the end zone to put the exclamation point on 21 unanswered Buckeyes points, as Ohio State claimed a 42-28 victory.

Ohio State pounded the rock to the tune of 39 carries, 233 yards and four touchdowns. Elliott’s 17 attempts gar nered 121 yards and two touchdowns, as Barrett was 13 of 21 for 176 yards and one touchdown pass.

Gardner completed 22 of 32 passes for 233 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. Despite Johnson’s two rushing touchdowns, he gained 74 yards on 15 carries as the Wolverines ran for only 121 yards on the day.

2012: Basil’s leg powers No. 4 Ohio State past No. 20 Michigan 26-21

Buckeyes running back Carlos Hyde powered into the endzone from 3 yards out on the game’s first drive to put Ohio State up 7-0.

Michigan quarterback Denard Robin son connected with wide receiver Roy Roundtree, who broke a would-be Buck eye tackle before trotting into the end zone midway through the first quarter to even the score at seven.

Ohio State kicker Drew Basil split the uprights at the end of the first, putting Ohio State up 10-7 after one.

The Wolverines used a quarterback tandem with Robinson and Gardner, who bludgeoned in from two yards out to give Michigan the lead early in the second quarter.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Mill er connected with wide receiver Corey Brown for a 14-yard passing touchdown to respond late in the half.

The Buckeyes grabbed the lead for all of 50 seconds, as Robinson accelerated and broke a tackle, scrambling 67 yards to put the Wolverines up by four.

Before time expired, Basil struck his second field goal, this one from 52 yards, through the uprights as time expired, with Ohio State trailing 21-20 headed into the locker room.

Basil knocked a third field goal from 28 yards midway through the third, to give Ohio State the lead, 23-21.

The Buckeyes defense held firm, keep ing the Wolverines scoreless in the sec ond half as Basil drilled his fourth field goal from 25 yards to give Ohio State a 26-21 lead.

Gardner was intercepted by Buckeyes defensive back C.J. Barnett with just un der five minutes to play in the game. A 13-yard Hyde rush on third and 7 helped salt the remaining time away, as Urban Meyer won his first game against Michi gan as head coach, 26-21.

Hyde carried the ball 26 times for 146 yards and a touchdown. Miller complet ed 14 of 18 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown and ran 20 times for 57 yards. Brown caught eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Robinson rushed 10 times for 122 yards and a touchdown, but the Buckeyes de fense stiffened in the second half, record ing six tackles for loss and four sacks.

2010: Dan Herron dominates as No. 8 Ohio State cruises past Michigan 37-7

After a scoreless first quarter, a 33-yard Devin Barclay field goal and a 7-yard pass from quarterback Terelle Pryor to wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher gave Ohio State a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

A Michael Shaw 1-yard rush closed the gap to 10-7 midway through the second, but Michigan wouldn’t score again.

The Buckeyes scored twice before half time— a Jordan Hall 85-yard kickoff re turn and a 33-yard passing touchdown from Pryor to wide receiver DeVier Posey — on the way to scoring the game’s final 27 points.

Ohio State running back Dan Herron added a 32-yard rushing touchdown to put the Buckeyes up 21 before two, third quarter, Barclay field goals rounded out the afternoon’s scoring as the Buckeyes won 37-7.

Ohio State rushed 45 times for 258 yards, leaning on the run with the game out of reach in the second half. Herron finished with 22 carries, 175 yards and a touchdown. Pryor was 18 of 27 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and one intercep tion.

Robinson ran 18 times for 105 yards but threw for under 100 on eight comple tions as the Wolverines couldn’t muster much through the air.

AMAL SAEED | LANTERN FILE PHOTOOhio State then-redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) looks to pass the ball during the second half of the game against Michigan on Nov. 24, 2018. Ohio State won 62-39. Ohio State has not played Michigan at home since.

What last season’s loss to Michigan means for Ohio State

JACOB

BENGE

| THE LANTERN SPORTS EDITOR

Every year, a clock in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center counts down toward kickoff between Ohio State and Michigan.

Since 2012, “The Game” clock had ticked toward when Ohio State would eventually defeat Michigan, prevail ing in eight-straight matchups.

Last season, it didn’t end in victory.

“When you live this year-round, it hurts,” head coach Ryan Day said.

When No. 5 Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State 42-27 on Nov. 27, 2021, it ended the Buckeyes’ streaks of fourstraight Big Ten Championships and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances.

Despite an 11-2 record and Rose Bowl victory, last season wasn’t deemed a success by Day and Ohio State’s standards.

“Maybe at some places, 11-2 with a Rose Bowl victory is a good year — it isn’t at Ohio State,” Day said. “Our three goals are: beat the team up north, win the Big Ten Champion ship, win the national championship. That’s the goal. Those three didn’t happen last year.”

The Buckeyes heard others ques tion their youth and inexperience, as they replaced 13 starters from its 2020 team that advanced to the CFP National Championship.

Ohio State hired former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim

Knowles to the same position, mak ing a change toward its defense that allowed nearly 373 yards and 23 points per game in 2021.

Knowles notably has changed the Buckeye defense to consistently fea ture four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs. He’s also added a wrinkle he brought with him from previous coaching stops in the “Jack” position, which is a hybrid linebacker that can line up front in run defense and drop back into coverage.

Day said he hoped Ohio State’s coaching change could see them playing top-10 defense, and Knowles upped the ante by saying in the pre season that he expects a “top-five de fense.” Knowles said the Buckeyes are progressively adding to their defense with new concepts and plays, saying they’re “ahead of schedule” as the month of November is underway.

“Everything is about habits that be come a lifestyle, so we want to stop every team on every possession of every game,” Knowles said. “The way we play has got to be an every day, every game thing where you expect to stop, when you compete to stop them, on that series because when the time comes that you need it that’s all you’ll know.”

The Buckeyes heard criticism over the offseason. They heard about how they lacked toughness in the loss to Michigan, and they heard about it from their rivals.

Former Michigan offensive coordi nator Josh Gattis said on the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show Nov. 29, 2021, the Wolverines knew they could “out-tough” Ohio State, and it led to victory.

“They’re a good team. They’re a finesse team — they’re not a tough team,” Gattis said. “And so we knew that going into the game that we can out-physical them, we can out-tough them, and that was going to be the key to the game.”

But the Buckeyes aren’t listening to what others are saying about them this season.

Third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud said the Buckeyes “don’t really listen” to external expectations, and Day said “We’ve always said it’s about us.”

Winning the next game week in and week out is Ohio State’s top priority, and Day said the Buckeyes must avoid looking past their next opponent.

“Our goals are still our goals,” Day said. “If we don’t maximize every sin gle minute of the day this week, then it doesn’t matter.”

Second-year wide receiver Mar vin Harrison Jr. said Ohio State’s “competitive stamina” motto has shown itself this season, such as the fourth-quarter comeback at thenNo. 13 Penn State and in unfavorable weather at Northwestern.

Harrison said the Buckeyes must do what’s necessary to “put ourselves

in the best position” because Ohio State “can’t lose any upcoming games.”

“We can’t look too forward to the game at the end of the month, so each day we try to take it day by day, get better,” Harrison said. “Lot to work on even though we have suc cess and the wins, things like that. There’s still always issues.”

Day said toughness isn’t some thing that appears overnight but has been something of which Ohio State has taken note.

“I think you can see that our guys have played physical. That’s some thing that we’ve taken a lot of pride in this year,” Day said. “I think if you’ve seen some of the teams we played and talked to the teams we played, you’ve recognized how hard, how tough we’ve played.”

Last season, Ohio State and Mich igan met for the first time in a new chapter of the rivalry after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancel lation of “The Game” in 2020. This season? All the chips are in.

“I think where all the chips fall, they’re going to fall, and hopefully we’re hoisting the big trophy at the end,” third-year offensive lineman Luke Wypler said. “The tough team is going to win any given Saturday, so for us, it’s just that’s the measure. It’s how tough can you be week in and week out?”

ting the stage for Michigan’s biggest win of the millennium.

It’s for that reason that this year’s contest means so much more for Michigan than almost any other game.

There’s a blueprint for taking that barrier down, but it’s precariously perched upon a ledge that’s just bare ly in reach. If they revert back to the precedent set by recent history, all of that progress will evaporate in just 60 minutes.

Last November, as Michigan fans rushed the field and then onto the snowy streets of Ann Arbor, it was clear that, despite what many said, the rivalry never left. The inevitabili ty and almost mythological stature of Ohio State just clouded that fact, but The Game is still here, and it’s still elevated above every other game on the schedule. But it’s also still the barbed-wire fence that separates the Wolverines from the rest of college football’s elite.

There’s a gateway for the Wolver ines to reach college football’s prom ised land, a path to all of their goals that they have so unabashedly worn on their sleeve: “Our goals would be to beat Ohio State and Michigan State in the same year, win the Big Ten Championship, and win the National Championship,” Harbaugh told reporters at Big Ten Media Days on July 26. “Those are our four goals.” They already beat the Spartans. The only true obstacle that’s left in the way of a second consecutive col lege football playoff is Ohio State. Who would have it any other way? This year just feels different than others, at least that I can recall. It doesn’t feel like a David versus Goli ath story, as it was last year or count less ones before. Michigan’s chances at victory are once again tangible. If I was a betting man, I’d still prob ably pick the Buckeyes to win — it’s hard to predict that something is go ing to happen when you’ve quite lit erally never been alive to see it. But Michigan does have a shot at fully reasserting itself back into the rivalry on the field, and that was barely be lievable in itself until recently. With a win, the Wolverines can fi nally satiate their decades-long hun ger. They’ll finally be like the Buck eyes. They just need to do something that recent history tells us is nearly im possible.

An anguish that is, at this point, generational. As someone who grew up in Ypsi lanti, MI, just 15 minutes down I-94 east of Ann Arbor, I have witnessed firsthand Michigan’s annual end of season loss on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

McNamara won’t be the quarter back when The Game comes around this year, but that doesn’t mean his point is moot. The foundations of a precedent have been set and the Wolverines can make good on what McNamara declared. But in order to do that, they’ll have to break years of anguish.

That’s only the case, though, if the Wolverines keep it up. Last year was the perfect storm, both literally and figuratively. Snow flakes whistled through the air, set

“It feels like the beginning, every thing about the team,” Harbaugh said back on Nov. 27, 2021, following his first win over Ohio State. “Every day, every week, every month. This has always felt like the beginning.”

Immediately after that game, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh em phatically proclaimed that it was the latter.

This season, the Wolverines have the chance to break both of those droughts. If they do, they will cement themselves as one of the favorites to win the national title. They can bring the rivalry’s on-field product — and the stakes surrounding the matchup — up to the standard that so many have wanted for years.

Then-senior running back Has san Haskins had five touchdowns and then-senior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson had three sacks. And while weather and individual brilliance weren’t the sole reasons the Wolverines won, they certainly helped. Which poses the question: How do they reach that apex again? After last year’s game, then-junior quarterback Cade McNamara, having led Michigan to victory, made a dec laration: “Long term, we’ve set the expecta tion now,” he said. “It’s been so long since we beat Ohio State, but we did that today. For the guys coming back, now we’ve got to do that every single year. We know what it took.”

I, along with many of the players on the Michigan football team, was not alive the last time that the Wol verines beat Ohio State in Columbus in 2000. That year also marked the last time that Michigan beat the Buckeyes twice in a row — 1999 and 2000.

SPENCER RAINES | MICHIGAN DAILY SPORTS EDITOR

Michigan wants the success that its rival enjoys, and for the better part of two decades, that lust has been seem ingly unsatisfiable. Then 2021 happened. After breaking through the barrier against its greatest rival in emphatic fashion, Michigan has an opportuni ty to reestablish itself as a true com petitor in the rivalry — proving that last year was not an anomaly, but the start of a new era.

Deep down, Michigan wants to be like Ohio State. Of course, the Wolverines will nev er say it, but it’s been like this for years now. They’ve seen their arch-ri val contend on a national stage sea son after season, hapless as the Buck eyes roll over them time after time on their way to countless accolades.

here’sT something that the Wol verines won’t tell you. There’s a yearning that’s tucked away in the in ner recesses of the program.

Michigan has the chance to reassert its place in the rivalry. It just needs to win

MACKENZIE SHANKLIN/Lantern File Photo

KATE HUA/Daily

Flash forward to this year, and Day and Har baugh, for the second season in a row, have their teams fighting to be the class of the Big Ten. Based on both teams’ recent success, they could very well battle for conference suprema cy for the foreseeable future. Now, Harbaugh can say what he wants, but Day isn’t getting off the bases anytime soon. Together, even if the pair wants nothing to do with each other, they can take this next decade of games into the stratosphere.

But Day and Harbaugh’s relationship is dif ferent — for the first time, both coaches feel like they have something to prove. Day doesn’t quite have the resume to outdo Harbaugh, at least not yet. And while Harbaugh ignited the sparring match, Day hasn’t been afraid to punch back. It’s early, but it’s hard to ignore the shades of another great Michigan-Ohio State coaching rivalry — perhaps even following in the foot steps of the Ten Year War. Back then, from 1969-1978, Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler — both magnanimous personalities with patented looks — squared off, often for a shot at a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl berth.

Then, when Harbaugh took over at Michigan in 2015, going toe-to-toe with Urban Meyer, he never minced words about the former Buck eye head man, once claiming that everywhere Meyer goes “controversy follows.”

Harbaugh barked back: “What’s your deal?” That animosity carried over to the NFL with Caroll leading the Seattle Seahawks against Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers between 2011-2014. In 2013, after a blowout loss to Seattle, Harbaugh accused the Seahawks of using PEDs.

Given Harbaugh’s involvement, though, this tension was easy to see coming. He hasn’t shied away from rival coaches before. At Stanford, he jawed with then-USC coach Pete Caroll, beginning in 2009 when Harbaugh went for two already up 53-21 against the Trojans. In the postgame handshake, Car rol had a simple question: “What’s your deal?”

But the trash talk always rang a little hollow, as Caroll and Meyer both had multiple cham pionships to their name while Harbaugh’s shelf remained bare. On top of that, Caroll defeated Harbaugh in their only playoff meeting and Meyer went 4-0 against Harbaugh during his tenure. Harbaugh never hid his brash personality when facing his coaching adversaries, team hadn’t accomplished on the field.

It’s difficult for college football rivalries to be player-centric. There is too much roster turn over for a constant string of players to headline a rivalry. The coaches, however, are mainstays, and two great ones with strong personalities make a rivalry hum. With Harbaugh and Day seemingly entrenched with their programs for the long run, that only further fuels storylines and anticipation for The Game.

When the two finally faced off again, Har baugh brushed death aside, emerging the vic tor. Thus, he felt entitled to take another shot at Day. That’s what their relationship has become. There is no love lost between Harbaugh and Day. They are building their programs with an eye not only on the College Football Playoff and winning Big Ten Championships, but also with the goal of destroying each other in the process. And, despite all the bitterness encircling their relationship, that’s a good thing.

“And we’re going to do it or die trying.”

“That’s what we want to do,” Harbaugh said.

The Buckeyes didn’t get a chance to attempt that feat in 2020, when the game was canceled due to COVID-19. The Buckeyes, however, made a run to the National Championship Game, cementing Day as a premier coach in the sport in only his second year at the helm. This success came much to the chagrin of Har baugh, who had hit his coaching low point with an abysmal 2-4 season — causing fans to call for his head. With his job on the line, Harbaugh threw down the gauntlet at 2021 Big Ten Media Day. He put the team’s goal of beating Ohio State out in the open.

“Sometimes people standing on third base think they hit a triple,” Harbaugh said. “But they didn’t.” It doesn’t take much reading between the lines to know who Harbaugh was referring to: Ohio State coach Ryan Day. Day has only faced Harbaugh twice, but both coaches have been trading jabs since Day took over in Columbus in 2019. Harbaugh’s comments following his first win over the Buckeyes were just the latest installment in their war of words. In their inaugural meeting, Day and his squad dominated with a 56-27 beatdown. Ohio State was a heavy favorite entering the game and looked the part. There wasn’t much else to say at that point, but it wouldn’t take much lon ger for tensions to explode. It began in the summer of 2020 during a Big Ten coaches conference call. There, Harbaugh reportedly interrupted Day, accusing him of providing on-field instruction to his players during the summer and allegedly violating NCAA rules. Day didn’t take kindly to Harbaugh’s accusa tions, and he wanted revenge on the field. His reported response: Hang ‘100’ on the Wolver ines.

When Michigan defeated Ohio State last year, Jim Harbaugh couldn’t help himself. The Michigan coach was about ready to wrap up his postgame press conference where he spoke of “moving forward with humble hearts” and “taking the high road.” But then, he decided to get a quip in before he left.

Daily Sports Editor

JOSH TAUBMAN

Harbaugh and DAy don't like each other.

But the rivalry is better because of it

EMMA MATI/Daily

•

“When we tackled (Barrett), we thought the game was over, we thought he was short,” Wormley said. “Everyone on the Michigan side thought he was short and everyone on the other side thought (Ohio State) got the first down. … There was just so much riding on that one play, and we came up short in the ref’s eyes.”

Wormley had a view of the play that altered the course of Michigan’s program for years to come that was a bit better than most — he was right at the first down marker, making the tackle.

Barrett was short on that fabled play.

There is no telling how much from the last five years came as an aftershock from the 2016 game. Had Michigan not come up an inch short, Harbaugh could’ve gotten a win against Urban Meyer — something he never captured — and he wouldn’t have started 0-5 against the Buckeyes. The Wolverines’ 2016 loss in Columbus sent them down a path of mediocrity for five years, cast in Ohio State’s shadow. And that all came down to one controversial inch — former Ohio State quar terback J.T. Barrett’s one-yard rush on 4th and 1 at the Michigan 16-yard line in double overtime.

“It killed us,” former Michigan offensive line man Erik Magnuson told The Daily. “We went from potentially playing in the Playoffs, winning the Big Ten championship to playing in the Orange Bowl. … It just killed everything.”

“Ultimately, the narrative around the program would’ve been so different if they get the benefit of the doubt on that call or they close it out sooner,” Bultman said. At this point, the spot has been harped on, analyzed and dissected so many times it’s now more of rivalry lore than anything else. Six years later, the debate has never ceased about whether or not

“You lose that game and it costs you a (College Football Playoff) appearance and that narrative about (Michigan coach) Jim Harbaugh spirals for years,” Max Bultman, who covered the 2016 game for The Daily, said. “They were good enough to get there, but they did not get there.”

Whatever it is, you name it and the 2016 ren dition of The Game probably had it. And beyond the physical game that was played on the field that late November afternoon, the result had long-last ing effects on the rivalry that can be felt to this day.

overtime, and — of course — it ended on a contro versial call that’s still debated to this day.

Ultimately for Michigan, simply being good enough on paper to get into the playoff in 2016 was not sufficient. After the dramatic loss, the Wolverines’ season fell flat. A month later, they lost to Florida State in the Orange Bowl, and the season that could’ve been Harbaugh’s breakthrough came to an unceremonious 10-3 end after a 9-0 beginning.

“That was one of the coolest environments I ever played in, one of the best games I ever played in,” former Michigan defensive end Chris Worm ley told The Daily. “... It just had all the makings of why you go to Michigan, why you go to Ohio State.” The Game in 2016 really did have everything. The Buckeyes were ranked second in the country, and the Wolverines were ranked one spot behind them. It was the first time The Game went to

As former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown once said: There are some football games, and then there are some football f***ing games. The 2016 Michigan-Ohio State game was cer tainly the latter.

Revisiting the 2016 MichiganOhio State game

SPENCER RAINES Daily Sports Editor

This year, that question has an answer. Robinson is back at Michigan, and he has found his place.

son?

Robinson’s fall from grace even prompted a Player’s Tribune story last year – penned by Robinson himself – titled, What Ever Happened to Denard Robin

back/wide receiver type.

During his senior year, he suffered an ulnar nerve injury that ended his career as a quarter back, forcing him to switch positions at the next level. Between injuries and inef fectiveness, he never panned out as a hybrid running

Robinson always knew that he wanted to stay involved in football once his playing days were behind him. Jacksonville University first hired him as an offensive analyst and assistant special teams coordinator in 2019. After their program disbanded, Robinson joined the Jaguars in 2020 as an offensive quality control coach. The fol lowing year, he transitioned to the front office, assuming a role as a college scouting assistant, learning the ins-and-outs of player development. Throughout it all, though, Michigan never lin gered far from his mind. If his bye week aligned, he returned to Ann Arbor for a football game. If not, he

Robinson is well-versed in the lesson that things don’t always go your way. In college, Rob inson was so popular that professors asked him to stop showing up to class because his mere presence created a distraction. But post-gradua tion life humbled him.

For Robinson, it’s also invigorating.

It’s easy to see why Robinson can be an effec tive recruiter. Beyond the pedigree – an all-time great player who holds the NCAA record for most rushing yards by a quarterback, among other accolades – Robinson is charismatic and genuine. The role suits him.

“I didn’t even dream that far about being on the front cover of the college game, but it happened to me. So we’ll make it real that you can do it, too.”

“It’s kind of fun to see,” Robinson said, smil ing again. “The younger guys coming up that watched football when they were younger, it’s cool to see that those guys still remember me.” One time, a player didn’t recognize Robinson for his on-field exploits. He did, though, realize that Robinson graces the cover of the video game NCAA 14. “Then he flipped out,” Robinson said, mimicking the player’s frenetic reaction. “(Being on the cover) is just a dream come true for me,” Robinson remembered telling the player.

“It’s been surreal,” Robinson said, grinning. Surreal for Robinson, sure, but also the high school players he recruits. Robinson estimates that 75% of high school players recognize him.

“It’s based on potential,” Robinson said, explaining the process. “You can see it. It’s either good or bad. Sometimes you miss on a guy, some times you’re right on a guy. You’re trying to bat well. You want to be correct every time, but sometimes you’re gonna have failure. You just have to get back up and say, ‘Hey, I missed that one, onto the next.’ That’s how I look at it.”

From 2010-2012, Robinson’s name was synon ymous with Michigan football. His goal now, a decade later, is to pass that baton onto someone else. “I want to get some guys that come up here and be one of those players for us, one of the guys that’s a face for the University of Michigan,” Rob inson told The Daily. “When they think about Michigan, you think about that person.” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had been in conversations with Robinson for a while – the pair initially connected at the beginning of last season, but Robinson wanted to finish the year in his previous role with the Jacksonville Jaguars. They stayed in touch, and in February, Mich igan afforded Robinson that opportunity, hiring him as its new assistant director of player person nel. At last, he returned home.

Bridging Rich Rodriguez to Brady Hoke, Robin son captivated the fanbase with his electric talent and ingrained the nickname “Shoelace” into the hearts of Wolverines across the globe.

Memorabilia spanning yearbooks to bobble heads are scattered around the room, homages to Michigan football’s lore. Robinson, of course, is an integral part of the program’s rich history.

Robinson’s work involves three primary con centrations: watching film, scouring the transfer portal and hitting the recruiting trail. In each task, his goal is to find ways for Michigan to improve.

The door swung open and Denard Robinson introduced himself, offered out his hand and sat down in a second-floor office inside Schem bechler Hall. Robinson, 32, is dressed in all blue and working on a goatee, still rocking his vintage dreadlocks.

“I knew I always wanted to come back to Michigan and be a part of this program in some type of capacity,” Robinson said. “I was just excited to be a part of it.”

watched every game from his home, alongside his five-yearold son, Denard Xavier Rob inson Jr., a budding superfan himself.

JARED GREENSPAN

Managing Sports Editor

A love responsible for his success.

“He just loves it,” James said. “He loves to play on Saturdays, but he loves everything that comes with it. He loves to work out. He loves to lift weights. He loves to get better. He loves the whole process.”

work out.”

Two years ago, during the heart of the pan demic, Blake would leave his house at 4:30 a.m. to train with his trainer at 5 a.m. At 2:30 a.m., he would text James: “I can’t sleep, I’m excited to go

“Blake Corum decided a long time ago that he was gonna do something great,” Forsten said. That decision continues to play out, day after day. Not once has Blake wavered on it, even during difficult times.

Far from normal, but perfectly Blake. Forsten finds himself having to push most athletes he works with; that’s his job. But with Blake, the roles reversed. Forsten was compelled to deliver a session that pushed Blake to the brink, expand ing his capacities.

Chris Forsten – Blake’s first trainer at the Parisi Speed School in Warrenton, Va. – began working with Blake at the age of seven. Right away, Blake stood out above the rest. “It’s not a normal age where the seven, eight year old actually wants to be there to train,” For sten told The Daily. “The fact that Blake goes in there and wants to listen, he wants to learn, he wants to figure it out, he wants to get better, that’s far from normal.”

It’s the saying that both James and Blake live by. That saying, as much as anything else, cap tures who Blake is. It also explains how he became so dominant.

“One Saturday, I had to leave early that morn ing to move some equipment to graze some

Even when James left Blake at home, Blake’s work persisted.

Following his parents’ lead, Blake wanted to help out at a young age. Starting at the ripe age of four, he accompanied James to the shop and on jobs.

Much like the role models before him, James works long hours to support his family. He owns a landscaping business, which he’s operated since 1996. His wife, Christina, started working in a restaurant at 14 years old. Together, they raised four kids.

So how did Blake, still in his first season as a full-time starter, reach that echelon so quickly? Well, to understand Blake, you need to under stand James. You need to understand the lineage of the Corums, a self-made, industrious family. James’s grandfather and father each owned a mason business. In the summer, James accom panied them as they built foundations and chimneys. At a young age, he was especially influenced by his grandfather, who worked nine-hour days and then came home to work some more, tending to his cattle and pigs. “He was probably one of the hardest working men ever,” James said. “… I kind of just followed in their footsteps. I was like, ‘Man, I want to work.’ It stayed with me. That’s what I was used to, and that’s what I’m still used to.”

driveways,” James said. “He knew I was at work, so he sends me this video and he’s out in the yard with the ladder, doing some footwork drills, working out. He sends the video, and he says, ‘You work, I work.’ ” You work, I work.

James didn’t exactly tell Blake the truth – come Saturday at 3:30 a.m., he was already awake. But he needed affirmation; he needed Blake to actually go and wake him. He needed Blake to want it. That way he’d know that Blake was serious about going, serious about working. “And every Saturday morning, he would come in,” James remembered. “He would say, ‘Dad, you up?’ ”

As a seven year old, a prime opportunity arose for Blake to push himself. The Breakfast Club, an

That mindset was present from a young age.

“I’ve always loved the work,” Blake said on Oct. 25. “… I’ve always had the hard work and it’s never left me. I’m always trying to find a way to outdo someone.”

Yes, that Frank Gore – arguably Harbaugh’s all-time favorite player. Harbaugh coached Gore for four seasons with the 49ers; Gore was a Pro-Bowler during three of them.

workouts. The sessions began with a series of one-on-ones at 5 a.m., followed by position-spe cific training that lasted until 8:30 a.m. The Corums hail from Marshall, Va. Without traffic, it’s over an hour drive from Marshall to The Breakfast Club in Bowie, Md. For Blake to attend, he would have to wake up at 3:30 a.m. “I would tell Blake, ‘If you want to go, you have to wake me up, I’m not gonna wake you up’,” James said. “If you want it bad enough, you’ll wake up at 3:30 on Saturdays and you’ll wake me up. As your Dad, if you wake up, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

With that, James and Blake would hop in the car and drive to The Breakfast Club, one of the preliminary, formative steps in Blake’s football ascent. Blake never overslept. Not once. That unparalleled drive is the reason why Blake is the nation’s preeminent running back. It has propelled him into legitimate Heisman Trophy conversation, his performances helping to vault the Wolverines into championship con tention for the second year in a row. Blake’s accomplishments have even pushed his coaches into uncharted territory. Jim Har baugh loathes comparisons – each time he finds himself walking into one, he regrets it, instant ly. Recently, though, something different hap pened: after accidentally invoking a comparison, Harbaugh embraced his slip-up. “Blake is the best running back I’ve coached in college,” Harbaugh said, smiling. “… He defi nitely has the license and ability to be every bit as good as Frank Gore.”

James Corum told The Daily. “He’s put in a lot of work. People can just hear the story. But I’ve seen it. To see that from four years old to now, it’s just, he deserves it.” That last thought consumes James during these overwhelming moments of pride. Stand ing in the Big House, surrounded by thousands of fans donning Corum jerseys and cheering for Blake’s never-ending exploits, watching his son pilot one of the most domineering programs in college football, James thinks back to where it all started. Blake’s success is borne out of an undeni able, unrelenting work ethic. As an elementary schooler, he performed over 200 push-ups and 200 sit-ups daily in his bedroom. In middle school, James picked up Blake at the end of the school day and drove to the high school, that way Blake could lift with the older kids. In high school, he’d wake up early to box with his train ers before commuting to school.

“At the end of the day, it makes me reflect on everything that he’s done to get to this point,”

like watching Blake? Usually, he shuffles through a slate of buzzwords, calling it a “blessing,” a “joy” and a “dream.” Sometimes, though, he allows himself to think a little deeper.

Even James Corum struggles to put his son’s success into words. He’s asked the question all the time: What’s it

The inherenT,, unrelenting work ethic spurring Blake Corum's stardom

JARED GREENSPAN

Managing Sports Editor

advanced level training camp run by Elite Star

Performance, hosted weekly Saturday morning

ANNA FUDER/Daily

ANNA FUDER/Daily LILA TURNER/Daily

Meanwhile, Kornblue called Mich igan coach Jim Harbaugh directly, advocating for Brad. Harbaugh and his advisers were in need of a punter, looking at the graduate transfer route. But with film and Kornblue’s recom mendation, Brad became their guy. The problem was, they didn’t have a scholarship to offer. Harbaugh prom ised one would open up, but nothing was in writing — nothing was guar anteed. So Brad trekked on, attending the punting camps that he ever-so-hat ed. At a Jamie Kohl kicking camp in Atlanta, another renowned evaluator, Brad’s seemingly underground talent was once again realized.

At a kicking camp run by Brandon Kornblue — a respected talent evalua tor and former Wolverine — just down the road in Xenia, Ohio, Brad made his first impression.

That attitude paid dividends. He excelled in baseball, could dunk a bas ketball, and everyone’s seen how well he can kick a ball. Hands down, Brad was an athlete, but it wasn’t until his senior year that he got noticed for it.

“Brad was like, if he was a baseball player to use a metaphor, he could throw 100 miles an hour,” Eric told The Daily. “And when you go to a camp, a showcase in baseball, if you can throw 100 miles an hour you stick out amongst the average people.” Without a doubt, Brad stuck out, and Kornblue noticed and pegged him as the nation’s No. 1 punter. That night, Brad had a scholarship offer from Nevada. That’s as atypical as it gets. Normal ly a punter has to go to camps start ing in middle school, attend multiple a year, then hope and pray they get noticed by scouts. Brad did it all in one day. But, after Wolf Pack coach Bill Polian was fired in 2016, the new regime didn’t pay attention to Brad. His scholarship wasn’t pulled, but contact was minimal, and Reno was no longer the right place for him.

“Hey, man, we’re gonna have to ease into this a little bit.” ***

Brad was too busy to care. He was a four-sport athlete — playing baseball, basketball and soccer in addition to football — and enjoyed playing gui tar when he had the chance. Watch ing sports in general was “a waste of time,” in Brad’s eyes. He was all about doing.

Surprised, Brad stepped out of class to call his dad, who confirmed Brooke’s message: A scholarship opened in the Michigan football pro gram. In the hallways of Westerville South High School, Brad simultane ously took it all in and made his decision: He was going to be a Wolverine. At home that night, Brad ended the day accordingly: While in the shower, he blasted “The Victors” — Michigan’s fight song — as loud as he could on his bluetooth speaker. His dad knocked on the door.

cool!

scholarship to Michigan! That’s really

On National Signing Day, Brad Rob bins didn’t have a scholarship. He wasn’t at a table putting on a hat, he wasn’t on the phone with a coach and he wasn’t taking the day off as some sort of athletic holiday. He was sitting in AP U.S. Government class when he got the news. It came as a text from his sister, Brooke Robbins: Hey, congrats on the

Brad was born Oct. 6, 1998 to two Buckeyes, Eric and Kristi Robbins, with Ohio Stadium patently visible from the hospital. Just 10 miles away from that stadium stood the Robbins family home in Westerville, Ohio. Both parents graduated from Ohio State, and they bled scarlet and gray. That transferred to their kids — two out of three of them, at least. Brad was never really much of a Buckeyes fan. “It’s religion down there,” Brad told The Daily. “Those people (in Colum bus) are crazy. To be honest, I was never big into Ohio State. I never real ly went to any games. I never really cared.”

NICHOLAS STOLL

Managing Sports

JULIANNE YOON/Daily

my mind went to athletics first. It went to Sep tember 2014 and the stinging 50-28 loss that the Bearcats football team experienced at Ohio Stadium. We earned a conference co-champion ship that season, but that loss still stings.

As a sports fan, I’ve never been much of a scarlet-and-gray kind of guy. But working close to Columbus for years offered me a unique vantage point as both a researcher and university administrator into what Ohio State is all about – academic excel lence, innovative research, quality health care and the public good. This became especially evident during the depths of COVID-19, when researchers and health professionals at OSU – just like at U-M – led the way in tackling some of the pandem ic’s most pressing challenges in clinics, research labs and hospital rooms. Thanks in no small part to the expertise, leadership and tireless effort put forth by so many at our two great public research institu tions, the Wolverines will enter the Horseshoe safe and healthy. And they’ll exit – of course – as Victors. Just as with many research areas, U-M’s goals often align with our rival’s. I congratulate and thank all students and campus community members from both universities who rolled up their sleeves for the 40th annual Blood Battle to address critical blood shortages. Our univer sities also work together as founding members of the American Talent Initiative, an important effort to expand access and opportunity to tal ented lower-income students. In many ways, our two storied institutions are more alike than anyone would ever care to admit On a chilly Saturday in late November amid the thunderous din of marching bands and screaming fans. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do all we can to support our team. Let’s grab our maize and blue gear, sing “The Victors,” and make it two in a row over the Buckeyes! Go Blue!

Since accepting the offer to lead the Universi ty of Michigan as its 15th president this summer, I’ve been waiting for this special day to arrive. The Game – the greatest tradition in college football – will see the University of Michigan facing off against Ohio State for the 118th time. And as a new member of the Wolverine family experiencing this spectacle for the first time, I feel like a freshman again. Intercollegiate athletics, especially at the exceptional level of our two universities, are a tremendous source of pride for our campuses, our alumni and our supporters. And traditions like these bring people together and help make our institutions unique. Now, let’s talk about the Buckeyes. As the former president of the University of Cincinnati, I had the pleasure of serving an institution located only about 100 miles down Interstate 71 from Ohio State. When I was recently asked by a Michigan Daily reporter how my experience at Cincinna ti shaped my views on Ohio State, I must admit

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“He tries to do a lot,” Michigan defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale said. “That’s prob ably the biggest thing I tell him, ‘Just don’t do so much. Do your job. Let it come to you. The ball will come to you, the players will come to you.’ And he’s starting to embrace that.”

This season, Moore was one of the only returning players to the safety group. With Dax Hill and Brad Hawkins both departing the pro gram, Moore became an obvious player to slot in as a starter from the opening game. But Moore didn’t want to just be plugged in for lack of a better option. He believed he could elevate his game. To do so, he just had to slow down.

In his debut, Moore held his own, accumulat ing six tackles. Just two weeks later, Moore drew the start against his hometown Buckeyes, mak ing an impact in Michigan’s biggest win in two decades.

Ahead of Michigan’s pivotal showdown at Penn State last season, with the Wolverines’ Col lege Football Playoff hopes hanging in the bal ance, Moore earned the starting nod. He hasn’t relinquished that role since. “It was hard at first,” Moore said of his fresh man season. “But as I continued to go and got my chance, I just made the best of the opportunity that was given. And it just went up from there.”

Despite his ascent on the field, where Moore racked up 68 tackles for the year, he never wavered on his initial commitment to the Wol verines he made back in the spring of his junior year. In December 2020, he officially signed his letter of intent.

Moore’s individual success then carried over to the rest of his team. The Thunderbolts went 8-0 in the 2020 season before their playoff run was cut short due to COVID-19.

“We kind of imprinted on him how important (that work ethic) was,” Broering said. “But he put that upon himself because he is such a hard work er, he wants to know the answer. So, he studies really really well. And he’s super smart.”

These natural traits helped Moore to excel on the football field. But he also possessed a relent less dedication to improving, whether that was hitting the weight room, studying extra film or keeping up with his academics, which allowed him to establish himself.

line-to-sideline quickness made him an asset covering ground from the free safety position. Moore combined this speed with physicality to stifle opponents on the ground. He frequently crashed down from the secondary to get directly to the ball, turning what looked like an easy gain into a loss.

Throughout his high school career, his side

Despite his youth, Moore set himself apart with his blazing speed. The summer before his senior year, he ran a 4.38 forty-yard dash at a camp hosted by Pitt and that trait translated to the football field.

Unlike many of Michigan’s recruits, though, Moore didn’t arrive on campus until July — miss ing valuable time to learn a complex defensive scheme during spring practice. Moore, as the the 538th ranked player in 2021 class, was underrated already and now was at a further disadvantage. But, just as he felt at Northmont, Moore was confident he could earn playing time quickly — and his work ethic was a byproduct of this mind set. In fall camp, Moore constantly watched film, studying tape of himself in practice to fix his mis takes. When the season began, Moore watched the film from team meetings again before prac tice to get a better feel of what he needed to focus on. That dedication didn’t go unnoticed. “You can just tell how much he was studying from the beginning of training camp,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said last November. “The hours he was putting in on his iPad watching tape was the most of anybody on the team.” The coaching staff didn’t think Moore would come along so quickly. But Moore’s trust in his natural abilities and extra effort off-field made noise which could only be ignored for so long.

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“He was literally the only sophomore out of 22 that played,” Broering said. “We knew that he was going to be really good when he was really young.”

Broering has served as the football coach at Northmont for over three decades, and he knew Rod was different when he first saw him running track in eighth grade. The Thunderbolts play in the Greater Western Ohio Conference, one of the most talented high school football leagues in the state. To keep pace with the competition, Broer ing typically rolls out juniors and seniors who’ve had a couple years to develop in the program. But Moore was too good to be kept on the side line for that long.

“When he left our program, I told the coaches he’ll have a chance to get on the field first before all the other guys because he’s so fast,” Broering told The Daily. “I predicted that Rod would have the best chance to get on the field early.”

This confidence radiates in Moore’s play on the field, exemplified by the career-high nine tackles he made that day. As a true freshman and former 3-star recruit, though, he didn’t always expect to be starting against the Buckeyes after arriving on campus just that summer. But Anthony Broering, Moore’s football coach at Northmont High School, certainly did.

“I was going back talking to all of them,” Moore said. “Telling them like, ‘What happened? I told y’all we were going to beat them.’ ”

Rod Moore grew up in Clayton, OH — just an hour’s drive from Columbus — with many of his closest family and friends as Buckeyes fans. While they’ve always supported Michigan’s sophomore safety, they refused to shift their alle giances in the rivalry for Moore’s first matchup against Ohio State last November. That’s why, in the aftermath of the Wolver ines’ upset win, Moore couldn’t help but relish in the result.

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