When Ohio State hosted Michigan in 2024, it looked like Ryan Day was finally going to break his losing streak against the Wolverines. Sherrone Moore’s team wasn’t having a great season. On the other side, the Buckeyes were flying. But the final score read 13-10 in favor of the team up North. After the game, the entire Ohio State roster was in shambles.

“I don’t know the great details, but of course I remain close with Ryan and the Buckeyes,” Meyer said on the Breaking Sales Podcast on June 15 when discussing the 2024 Michigan loss. “What went on in those locker room meetings and the team meetings, and because I was there that day we lost to the Wolverines, and it was awful. It was like the world ended for a moment. Like, how did that happen?”

For the head coach who had a 7-0 record against Michigan during his time at Columbus, it was difficult to see his favorite team lose once again to its rivals. After the defeat, it appeared as if everything was over. Meyer understands what ‘the Game’ means for the fans. He always treated the rivalry as a 365-day-a-year war.

Ryan Day probably felt the worst of the backlash. A fringe section of the fanbase even sent death threats. The Ohio State head coach had to place armed guards outside his house to ensure the safety of his family members. It looked like the world ended with that loss for the Buckeyes. But you can’t let the defeat make you drown in misery. And it helped Ohio State that the roster included a number of veterans who understood what the team needed to fight back.

“You had Jack Sawyer and some other really mature players. I call them grown-a-s men. Those weren’t little boys. Those weren’t the 17-year-olds. These guys were veteran grown men who took it on their shoulders because if they didn’t have that, there’s no chance they would have rallied back from that dark day. It was a case study of leadership, maturity, and how to respond to adversity,” Meyer added.

And respond, they did. The Buckeyes used the hurt from the Michigan loss in their run to the national championship. In the first round, they easily dismantled Tennessee (42-17). The Vols had no answers for the Buckeyes’ fast-paced attack.

Then came Oregon, a team that Ohio State had lost to during the regular season. But the Buckeyes just blew past the Big Ten Champions. It looked like a group on a mission, and Dan Lanning’s team had no answers. The Texas game was a close one. However, it was Sawyer who dealt the Longhorns the final blow with his 83-yard strip sack touchdown.

And in the final against Notre Dame, the Buckeyes again showed why they were a class apart. In the 34-23 win, Ohio State initially fell behind but responded with 31 unanswered, and the Irish were left chasing the game throughout.