I'm A Michigan Fan And I'm Glad Ohio State Won The CFP Tile | John Simmons
Right off the bat, I know that title is going to make a lot of my fellow Wolverines fans Maize n’ Blue in the face. After all, I am talking about The Ohio State University, those cursed Buckeyes, that team down South that would love nothing more than to bury my football program 100 feet under the ground and dance on our grave.
And yet, I am still glad that they won the CFP title game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
I can hear everyone who is outside of Columbus (and especially those in Ann Arbor) claiming I can’t be a real Michigan fan. While I’m not a seasoned one (I only got interested in college football four years ago when my cousin started playing for UM- shout out to Petey Simmons), I am a true one - and I know the soul-stirring emotion of this rivalry.
In 2023, I was at the Big House fans when the Wolverines beat Ohio State 30-24. I could hear a pin drop when Zak Zinter went down with an injury; I didn’t know 100,000+ people could be that quiet. I was roaring with the crowd when Makari Page intercepted Kyle McCord to seal the win. I stormed the field and belted "Hail To The Victors" after we sent the Buckeyes packing for a year, crushing their hopes at a natty. I toured the historic confines of Schembechler Hall. While I may be green in my fandom, my blood bleeds Michigan blue.
(This is me with my cousin's family after the game).
With all that said, why on earth would I be happy that the Scarlet and Gray won it all?
For starters, it’s good that Ohio State brought another souvenir to the Big 10 football championship trophy case. No matter who does it (even if it's Penn State), it's nice to know our conference is staking their claim as the lords of the college football universe. National success by any team in our conference is welcome success as far as I’m concerned.
Not only that, they gave the entitled SEC a triple serving of humble pie. After complaining like a high school brat that they didn’t get enough teams in the playoff, Ohio State demolished Tennessee, dominated Texas, and won the title game in Atlanta, the heart of the South. I don’t care what school gives the SEC a reality check, they’ve got my support all the way.
But most of all, I’m happy for Ryan Day and the players because of what they dealt with off the field.
For starters, Day had to deal with some of the most disturbing hate messages I’ve ever heard any coach or player suffer. Day’s father tragically killed himself when the Ohio State coach was just nine-years-old. In the days immediately following a fourth consecutive loss to Michigan, Day’s wife, Nina, revealed that some fans used that trauma to try to coax Day into ending his life.
"They told me multiple times to have Ryan follow in his father's footsteps and kill himself," Nina said.
This is not a bunch of invested fans just showing their support for their team; this is mentally degenerate behavior who has taken their love of football to an unhealthy extent.
As for the players, they bonded off the field by rallying around faith in God. Especially as the expanded playoff started, players became far more vocal about their faith, praising Jesus for every win.
But as ESPN’s Reece Davis noted after the final whistle blew against Notre Dame, the players weren’t just doing it to get on God’s good side and persuade him to give them a title. They were doing it because it meant something to them apart from football, so much so that they even started baptizing OSU students on campus.
When I hear something like that, I suddenly don’t see a bunch of men wearing helmets with buckeye stickers. I see a mini army of worthy men who have their life priorities right and who seem to genuinely value God over all else. Men like these will always have my support, and I won’t think twice about it.
The 2024 season ended with Ohio State overcoming a slew of challenges to climb to the top of the sport’s mountain. Even though I root for a team that will be the sworn enemy of the Buckeyes until the end of time, I am thrilled that they had the level of success they did in this campaign and wish them the best moving forward.
Except when they come to the Big House next year. Then, in the words of Day, I hope Michigan "hangs 100 on them."