October 30, 2024

Ohio State's Ryan Day and the pressure to beat Michigan

Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior WriterJun 19, 2023, 08:00 AM ET Close College football reporter Joined ESPN.com in 2007 Graduate of Indiana University COLUMBUS, Ohio — A box of Yogi Stress Relief tea sat on Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ desk, where he watched film repeatedly this offseason to analyze defensive breakdowns in losses to Michigan and Georgia. The pressure here, he conceded with a smile, is a little different than anywhere else he’s ever coached over the past three decades. “You can’t lose a game,” he said following his first season with the Buckeyes, an 11-2 finish that included a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. “You can’t lose a game.” Especially The Game. Twice. Roles have reversed in the Big Ten, in which Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was lambasted in 2019 after dropping to 0-5 in one of the sport’s most iconic rivalries following an embarrassing 56-27 home loss…

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