Ohio State finally ends skid against Michigan, making it clear the Buckeyes have fully rediscovered themselves

ANN ARBOR, Michigan -- Ryan Day didn't need to overthink himself to finally snap the four-game skid that had consumed him. He just needed to be himself.

Pressure tends to bring out the best or worst in coaches. For Ohio State, a dangerous mix of those two resulted in a bizarre identity crisis: a four-game losing streak in "The Game" but a 52-1 record against every other Big Ten team.

On Saturday, Day ditched the overcorrections and went back to what works. Michigan had no counter.

"I don't think there was any doubt when we walked into the stadium what was going to happen," Day declared after the 27-9 victory.

A year after Ohio State tried to reinvent itself for one opponent and prove a point against Michigan by abandoning a high-flying offense to play bully ball, the coach kept it simple: just be a Buckeye.

Julian Sayin threw howitzers through the air, dropping laser-guided bombs for two incredible touchdown catches by super receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Then the Buckeyes went to the ground, bulldozing Michigan and marching through the snow on a single possession to prove a point: these Buckeyes are not just better, they're bigger and stronger than the Wolverines.

A 20-play drive over the course of 11 minutes, 56 seconds in the second half -- easily the longest drive of the season -- in the driving snow was more of a statement than any flag panting at midfield would have been.

"We wanted to end the game on our terms," Sayin said.

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And, no, Ohio State didn't plant its flag or stomp on the block "M" at midfield. Day made sure of that, motioning a raucous group of Buckeyes back to the sideline after the game. Day had a lot to say after finally beating his rival for the first time since 2019, but he bit his lip, adding, "The best thing to do is win with humility."

Then again, maybe this is just the start of a new routine and winning streak in the sport's fiercest rivalry.

"When you think about where we were at this point last year to all the way now, there's been a lot of great football," Day said.

Maybe it was that 13-10 loss last year inside a bone-chilling Ohio Stadium that awakened Day. Something flipped. Sixteen straight wins. A national title. Now a 12-0 record after losing 14 players to the NFL Draft. This shouldn't make sense, but it does at Ohio State. 

No team is hotter or better because of Ohio State's reluctance to stray from a self-determined identity. Eleven straight wins by double digits. A defense for a generation. All of that will be challenged next week in the Big Ten Championship Game against undefeated Indiana, a team hammering opponents by an average of 33.4 points, the widest margin in the sport since Florida State won the national title in 2013.

For now, Day should live in the moment. He should celebrate. A year ago, fans turned on the coach, booing him out of Ohio State, demanding answers after losing a fourth straight to Michigan and missing the Big Ten Championship. The outside noise was so loud, Day's family hired security to guard their home. 

Four years is a lifetime in college football, but a win against a rival can erase many bad memories.

"You can see it in my face the last couple years," Day said. "You feel like you're letting everybody down. That's just not a good feeling. You work like hell to make sure that you do everything you can to get your guys prepared. That's all you can do. That's exactly what happened here."

Ohio State's offense may get the praise, but its defense has proven to be one of the best of the last 50 years. No opponent has scored 17 points in this 12-game season, a first in the sport since 1975 (Florida). 

The offense will get headlines, but the defense has been the anchor of the entire season. No opponent reached 17 points through 12 games -- something no FBS team has done since 1975 Florida. Michigan came nowhere close. Outside of an opening burst and Sayin's lone mistake, the Wolverines were swallowed whole: 39 total yards in the second half, minus-8 rushing after racking up 108 before halftime.

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"We knew whatever they brought to us we were going to stop," defensive end Caden Curry said.

Ohio State outgained Michigan 419-163 and took its rival's will somewhere deep under the snow.

Early in the fourth quarter, as the Buckeyes churned through their marathon drive, linebacker Sonny Styles glanced at teammate Payton Pierce and soaked in the moment. The snow, the stakes, the rivalry.

"I'm playing in 'The Game' right now," Styles said. Both teams trying to get to the Big Ten Championship. It's snowing. It's the end of November. It's the stuff you dream about."

The domination all season may seem like a dream, but this is Ohio State. The Buckeyes are fully comfortable in their skin, fully aware of their power. 

"We definitely got way more on the table and we just have so much more to prove," Curry said. "This team has such a great story that needs to be told."