It's been 365 days and the Ohio State Buckeyes finally have their chance at revenge against the Michigan Wolverines.
The greatest rivalry in all of sports is finally here.
The 105th matchup of The Game is up next and this one is as important as ever.
The Buckeyes enter the next edition of The Game with a 51-49-4 record since 1920. There have been ebs and flows in the rivalry, and right now, the Buckeyes have reached rock bottom.
Since the turn of the millennium, Ohio State has dominated the rivalry game. They are 17-7 since 2000, but are currently in the midst of their third-longest losing streak since the 1920s.
For whatever reason, Michigan has been the only dull spot for Ohio State coach Ryan Day.
Day has passed every test since becoming the head coach. He has won at home, won on the road, beaten top-ranked teams, rolled over unranked teams, won in the post season, and he has even put together a National Championship team. He has done all of that, but has not been able to clear the Michigan hurdle.
This era of the rivalry has been a fascinating one that started with the Connor Stallions sign stealing days that helped the Wolverines snap an eight game Buckeye streak. It was then that the Buckeyes rolled into Ann Arbor and took one on the chin before getting boat-raced by Michigan in 2023.
The real head scratcher was in 2024 when the Wolverines came to Columbus as nearly three touchdown underdogs, and they beat the Buckeyes straight up.
Thankfully for Day and his squad, the extended playoff allowed Ohio State to qualify for the postseason which gave Day the avenue to save his job. He did that by putting together the greatest run in recent college football history.
But the game in Columbus last year was the one that had Buckeye fans really scratching their head and asking if Day was the right guy for the job.
With eyes pointed forward, Day, his staff, and his team know the task at hand. They know that their responsibility is to just take down the Wolverines, anyway, anyhow.
Ohio State will start the game as at least a touchdown favorite and is definitely the better team on paper. However, the stakes are raised. If they can beat Ohio State this year, they will keep their playoff chances alive and will be playing in the Big Ten Championship Game.
The Buckeyes are in the playoffs no matter what happens on Saturday. However, they need to end this streak and get that ever-elusive victory over the Wolverines.