The Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day took care of business in their second to last game of the regular season against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. When all was said and done, Ohio State won the game by a final score of 42-9 to improve to 11-0 on the season.
Even without star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, the Buckeyes’ offense looked lethal. Once again, the defense was dominant under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Next up for Ohio State will be the matchup that all fans have been waiting for all season long. The Buckeyes will face off against the arch-rival Michigan Wolverines next weekend.
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Following the win over Rutgers, Day spoke out with a very short and sweet message about next week’s game.
As shared by FOX College Football on X, Day is ready to play for hardware against Michigan.
“We’re playing for hardware now,” Day said.
After playing the Wolverines, Ohio State will turn its attention to the postseason. Most anticipate to see the Buckeyes facing off against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.
Then, comes the College Football Playoff.
Of course, Ohio State needs to get its losing streak against Michigan out of the way. The Wolverines have won each of the last four contests between the two schools. Last season, the Buckeyes suffered a shocking loss to Michigan as the No. 2 seed in the nation in Columbus, while the Wolverines were unranked.
Despite losing to Michigan last season, Ohio State was able to pull together and go on to win the national championship. Day is looking to replicate the playoff success with a second straight title, but adding a win over the Wolverines is extremely important.
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All of that being said, all eyes will be on the Buckeyes and Michigan throughout the upcoming week. The two teams will kick off the latest installment of their bitter rivalry at 12:00 p.m. ET next Saturday.
For Day and Ohio State, this game is what they have been working towards all season long. Having a chance to get revenge for the last four years of disappointment is now waiting right at their doorstep.
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