The 3 biggest hurdles to a national championship for the Ohio State football team
By Ryan Stano
1. Ohio State has to beat Michigan
It has been five years since the Ohio State football team was able to beat Michigan. They would have trounced them in 2020 had TTUN not decided to cancel the game. The results in 2021 and 2022 have come into question now that we know more about the Connor Stalions stuff.
Last year's results are inexcusable though. By that point, Michigan's cheating had been called out and it had ceased. Ohio State still lost the game because they weren't good enough when it mattered. The defense couldn't stop their offense quickly enough and the offensive line couldn't protect Kyle McCord on that final drive.
This year, the game is at home for the Buckeyes. Michigan has lost most of its coaching staff and the good players they had on offense. While the defense is still solid, it's nowhere near the elite level it was a year ago. Quite simply, this is a good, but not great, Michigan team this year.
There is no reason the Buckeyes shouldn't beat them in November. They have the better roster by a mile and I would argue they have better coaches now. If they don't win this game, Ryan Day could find himself without a job now that Gene Smith is retired. Ross Bjork could try to find someone else who can beat Michigan.
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Right now, there's no reason to think that Ohio State shouldn't win that game. But it's been since 2019 that they have a victory over Michigan. They have to prove that they can do it again. At this point, it could be a mental hurdle more than anything.