Former head coach Jim Tressel said that Ohio State’s 2019 season, if it goes on to win the national championship, wouldn’t mean as much if they lose to Michigan on Saturday.
This is quite the claim.
We all know The Game, which kicks off tomorrow at noon EST, is meaningful. Although technically it may not matter for Ohio State’s Playoff aspirations, it has all the importance in the world to the players and respective fanbases.
The third-most winning head coach in school history took that to the next level, saying Ohio State’s first championship season since 2014 wouldn’t quite be the same if it didn’t win Saturday.
Here’s exactly how the 2002 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year phrased his thoughts.
If the 2019 Ohio State Buckeyes won a National championship but lost to Michigan is the season tainted? We asked Jim Tressel. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/zzvjCstdqi
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) November 27, 2019
Tressel does have some room to talk here though. He was an impressive 9-1 in his time against Michigan so it’s difficult to say that he’s incorrect. It’s also difficult to say an entire season could be ruined by The Game. But, that’s what you live in with this rivalry and with being the head coach of Ohio State.
And … one could argue putting such an emphasis on this one contest has been why OSU has been so dominant over the last couple of decades.
The No. 1-ranked Buckeyes will line up as one of the only three Power 5 teams still undefeated at 11-0. The dominance that they’ve shown this season has made them a double-digit favorite, meaning Michigan, even at home, is a a significant underdog.
The Buckeyes should win, and if they don’t, it could be one of those rivalry-defining games in Ann Arbor.
This will be the Buckeyes last regular season game. They’ve already locked up the Big Ten East and will be playing in Indianapolis on December 7. But that doesn’t diminish The Game.