Ohio State Football: Time to start a new streak

Last season, the streak that is most sacred to Ohio State football fans was finally snapped. It did so in an incredibly painful way and kept the Buckeyes from being able to make the College Football Playoff. You already know what streak I’m talking about.

That streak, of course, is the winning streak that the Buckeyes had against TTUN. That streak came to an end in November after Ohio State lost in Ann Arbor amidst snow showers. It was the first time since 2011 that Ohio State had lost to TTUN, ending a ten-year winning streak.

Now, it’s time for them to start a new winning streak. The last time the streak ended, back in 2011 after they had won every game against TTUN since 2003, the Buckeyes responded by having an undefeated season. That’s certainly on the table for the 2022 season as well.

How the Ohio State football program responds to needing to start a new streak will let us know the mental attitude of the coaching staff and those around the program. They should be hellbent on starting that streak and never letting that streak end ever again.

Ryan Day is not a native Ohioan like all of the coaches before him. He did not grow up in this rivalry and have it coursing through his veins year-round. Even so, it seems like he cares about the rivalry just as much as his predecessors. Based on everything he’s said, the team will be back and prepared for this season.

His actions in preparation for this game will speak louder than those words though. How this team responds in November, likely with postseason lives on the line for both teams, will give us a barometer of this coaching staff’s level of focus on this game throughout the year.

I don’t want to say it’s a must-win game for the Buckeyes, but when is a game vs. TTUN not a must-win?