Ryan Day Prepping Ohio State for a 'War' Against Michigan

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Ohio State head coach Ryan Day seemed to be absolutely laser-focused in his press conference on Nov. 26. The leader of the No. 2 Buckeyes (10-1, 9-1 Big Ten Conference) showed a clear concentration ahead of facing Michigan (6-5, 4-4) on Nov. 30. He repeatedly stressed the importance of the game and expanded upon his team's mindset heading into the biggest rivalry game in all of football on Saturday.

Day on Losing Streak to Michigan

Day started off very strong in the rivalry matchup with a 56-27 win over the Wolverines in 2019 in his first matchup as head coach. Day's momentum in the rivalry then came to a halt in 2021 and has yet to resurge since. The Buckeyes have now lost three-straight in the matchup, being outscored 117-74 over the last three years. Day spoke on how the recent struggles against the team have affected his life.

When asked about it in an interview with 10TV, he stated that the losing streak is "one of the worst things to happen to me in my life, quite honestly. Other than losing my father and a few other things, it's quite honestly, for my family, the worst thing that's happened."

That statement speaks volumes to how important this game is for the Ohio State program. It proved that no one takes this matchup more seriously than Ryan Day.

Day on Ohio State's Mindset This Year

The leader of the Buckeyes seems intensely focused and to be in a great state of mind heading into this weekend. Day was very positive throughout this week's press conference and expressed his desire to get the win this weekend for the seniors who don't have a pair of gold pants.

"To say that this team, and those leaders and these seniors want to win this game, it would be one of the biggest understatements of all time," Day said.

Day absolutely wants the win over their rival for himself, but the entire team clearly wants to win for each other. They all appear to be locked in ahead of the game and are confident from their year of preparation. Day expressed how the team now only needs to "trust their training." He said he is confident that his roster and staff have built a strong foundation that they will be able to rely on each and every game.

As for how the team is approaching this year's game from the mental perspective, they are preparing for a "war." Every player who spoke to the media seemed to echo the sentiments of Day. He has clearly made a point to his players that they must be ready to battle on every single snap. In his press conference, he outright called the game a "war" with how its results make or break everything for a team's season.

"This game is a war," Day said. "And any time there's a war, there's consequences and casualties. And then there's the plunder and rewards that come with it."

Day has seen all the ups and downs that the rivalry brings. He experienced tremendous success as the offensive coordinator under former head coach Urban Meyer. He then experienced the low-points of losing three-straight as the head coach himself, losing to both Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore. No one has felt the pressure that Day has and is currently feeling at Ohio State. However, Day seems as if he may be thriving under that pressure this time. He appears more calm and prepared than ever, as all eyes will be focused on him and his team on Nov. 30.