"I think it’s good that it was there. We need to take that and use it and get better every day."
When Ohio State redshirt sophomore center Luke Wypler arrived at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for breakfast before this morning’s practice, the televisions in the cafeteria set to the Big Ten Network were showing the 60-minute version of Michigan’s 42-27 win from November.
“That TV almost came down,” Wypler said during his media availability after practice, still angry about what he saw. “You just have to take that. It happened. You’ve got to learn from it and build upon it. I think it’s good that it was there. We need to take that and use it and get better every day.”
The players certainly don’t need a reminder that the loss snapped the Buckeyes’ eight-game winning streak in the series and prevented them from winning their fifth straight conference title and reaching the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive year. But it clearly set the tone for Thursday’s practice, which officially marked the halfway point of the spring.
“I think that was a little extra motivation right there,” Wypler said. “I think anytime you see those colors or hear that name, it definitely clicks with you and gets you going in the morning.”
While it was just a coincidence that the network was showing The Game at 6 a.m. as Wypler went to grab a bacon, egg and cheese bagel, his reaction – and the fact that nobody apparently got up to change the channel – suggests the coaching staff should have The Game on repeat through Nov. 26. That way, they never forget the feeling they had this morning.
“I think the Team Up North is something that's in the back of our minds,” Wypler said. “I don’t think that feeling actually sits well with anybody in this building. It was a nice morning, I’ll say that much.”
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