The Ohio State football program has lost four straight games to TTUN. It has been a hard fact that the Buckeyes have had to deal with. Even though they won the national title a season ago, they still weren't able to beat Michigan. It was the worst Michigan team in the last decade, too.
Of course, Ohio State would rather have the national title than a win over TTUN. They aren't going to trade that trophy for anything. That doesn't mean that the Buckeyes don't want to beat TTUN every single year. Ryan Day continues to have that knock on his resume.
Last year may have been the tipping point in this rivalry. Ohio State lost last year because of its unwillingness to play aggressively on the offensive side of the ball. That flipped when the CFP started. Now, that run may have turned Ohio State into a team that can consistently beat Michigan.
The Ohio State football team must beat Michigan in 2025 to show its newfound aggressiveness is a viable strategy
2025 is the year that the Buckeyes need to prove that they can beat Michigan more than ever. Ryan Day was able to use his aggressiveness in the College Football Playoff to win a national championship. He learned that he can use that aggressiveness to win a lot of games.
It's time for the Buckeyes to show that they win that game now that they are national champs. That would give them the chance to restore order in this rivalry and put Ohio State back on top, as they had been for more of the last couple of decades.
Day feels like a different coach now that he has the national title victory. Ohio State football fans will find out if that is true in late November when TTUN comes to town.