Once Again, Ohio State Falters Down The Stretch In Key Game Against Michigan That Should Have Ryan Day Panicking About Future

Ann Arbor, MI- Is Ohio State a playoff caliber football team following the loss to Michigan? Even Ryan Day couldn't answer that question following his third-straight loss to Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

The hype was real, as over 100,000 fans packed into the 'Big House' for the showdown between the Buckeyes and Wolverines. On one side, Ryan Day was hoping to finally end the losing streak to Michigan, while securing another playoff spot. On the other side, Sherrone Moore once again was trying to lead the Wolverines to a monumental win.

But this wasn't like any other, from the start. Fans started tailgating late Friday night and the folks from Michigan were just hoping this team could get through one more game without Jim Harbaugh. Turns out, they didn't need much of Jim Harbaugh, when Ryan Day is the opposing coach.

Once again, Ryan Day comes up short against the Wolverines, forcing folks to scratch their heads following yet another loss in the rivalry. This time it came at the hands of bad play calling and a defense that finally broke.

After starting the day in a Boobie Miles jersey, Michigan running back Blake Corum found himself running out the clock on a Wolverines win.

The dreadful interception that ended any chance Ohio State would have at winning came on the Buckeyes final possession. A defensive stand by the Wolverines was the story, with Sherrone Moore coming up big in decisive moments.

Leaving the stadium, Moore raised his hands up to the sky, while blowing kisses at the fans. He had experienced a massive win at home. But not just any win, he had beaten Ohio State.

A lot will be made of Ryan Day once again coming up short, which will most likely keep him out of the playoffs in 2023. When asked after the game whether or not he thought he had a playoff caliber team, Ryan Day wasn't ready to answer the question.

Ohio State Once Again Falls To Michigan

Lost in the shuffle of postgame words between both teams was Ryan Day walking off the field, surrounded by security. The look on his face summed up what losing to Michigan for the third straight time will do to a man.

He didn't look upset, Ryan Day looked mad. As he should have been, with his team making countless mistakes on Saturday to keep them just far enough way. The last minute drive was nice, don't get me wrong, but the Buckeyes found themselves in a horrible spot, more times than not on Saturday. As the crowd sang 'The Killers,' a new type of loud was established inside Michigan Stadium.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on prior to the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

For all the talking the Buckeyes have done over the last few years, they once again came up empty. And don't get me wrong, Michigan tried to keep the Buckeyes within range. But now that the Wolverines are headed to the Big Ten title game, Ohio State can try to decide what went wrong.

It's not as if JJ McCarthy had an all-American type of day, passing for only 148 yards and 1 touchdown. But the Wolverines did capitalize off bad mistakes from Ohio State that set them up with great field position. We're going to continue asking the question as to whether Ryan Day is the guy to lead Ohio State to a national title, with beating Michigan becoming a yearly problem.

"We're all disappointed. We know what this game means to so many people and to come up short is crushing, only because you invest your whole year into it," Ryan Day noted. "There's a locker room in there that's devastated. It wasn't for a lack of effort.

"Again, we didn't win the rushing yards or the turnover battle, so you're not gonna win the game."

Michigan Fans celebrate the win over Ohio State on Saturday. Courtesy of Trey Wallace

What's Next For Ryan Day At Ohio State?

This has become a question since it was reported that Texas A&M would be interested in speaking with him about their vacancy. Lets be honest, Day in College Station makes zero sense right now, especially while struggling for Big Ten titles every year.

But there is a change coming to the conference. The additions of USC and UCLA will add another layer of competition to the Big Ten. In the eyes of most, this means the Trojans will be fighting for Big Ten titles on a yearly basis. This will obviously add only further pressure to Ryan Day, needing to win a Big Ten title in the very near future.

Ohio State has the talent to be playing for the playoffs every season, and the Buckeyes will most likely start doing that in 2024. But for the moment, Ryan Day had a hard time answering if his current team was good enough to be a playoff team. If you have to go through five different layers to get an answer, we know the struggle is real.

I don't blame Ohio State fans for being upset with the Buckeyes head coach, being that it's been four years since he's beaten Michigan. But don't forget that they were two minutes away from playing for a national championship last season.

You can't start over, and does it actually feel like Ryan Day has been at Ohio State for that long? No, it feels as if Day still has a lot to accomplish in Columbus, but a fanbase not willing to accept three-straight losses to its rival. What happens next should be easy, with Ryan Day returning to Columbus for another season.

But, I hope he truly understands that these results are not acceptable in the current regime. Like it or not, you're judged by what you do on the final weekend of November, and Ryan Day has lost the last three.

Whatever the future might hold for Ryan Day, not beating this Michigan team will most likely haunt him for a period of time. Who knows what the future holds, but I imagine we will get a quick conclusion in the next few days.

But as for tonight, Ryan Day will head back to Columbus with another loss to Michigan. Things are already complicated on the Buckeyes campus.