Sherrone Moore Threatens to put Ryan Day’s Legacy in Dust as OSU HC’s $1B Impact Confirmed

1897: That was the first time Ohio State and Michigan clashed, birthing an iconic rivalry that stands to this day. So last season, when Ohio won the natty but lost to the Wolverines prior, many fans didn’t consider it a successful run. In fact, HC Ryan Day and his family received threats after their fourth consecutive loss to their archrivals, and at one point, the situation got so bad, the coach’s family needed around-the-clock police protection. “I didn’t really leave the house much ’til after the Tennessee game,” Day’s son R.J., a high school sophomore, shared back then.

It didn’t matter that Day’s winning percentage as Ohio’s coach (.873, with a 69-10 record entering the national title game) was amazing. The fact that they lost to Michigan 10-13 was simply unacceptable to the team’s passionate supporters. Add to this the fact that in 2023, he carved his name into the wrong kind of history, becoming the first Ohio State coach since John Cooper in 1955-97 to lose three straight games to Michigan, and the situation only got worse. After losing that game last season, Day joined the unfortunate list of HCs who lost four consecutive games to the Wolverines, and they are A.E. Herrnstein, John Wilce, and John Cooper.

(Ryan Day’s losses against Michigan)

• 2021: Michigan 42, Ohio State 27
• 2022: Michigan 45, Ohio State 23
• 2023: Michigan 30, Ohio State 24
• 2024: Michigan 13, Ohio State 10

The coach is 1-4 against the rival team, after winning one game against them in 2019, and Day understands how bad it looks. You cannot be a fan favorite and the Bucks’ greatest coach when you keep dropping the ball against Michigan, and that’s exactly what RJ Young is highlighting on Adapt and Response with RJ Young on YouTube. “You cannot be the greatest coach at Ohio State of all time if you have a losing record against Michigan. I dare, say you have to go undefeated against Michigan in your tenure at this time to even get into that discussion for many Ohio State fans.

I don’t think that’s too shabby at all by saying that, but he’s not going to do that. But he is not going to do that. I think he could win the next four in a row, right? Maybe get back to 500 against Michigan. Still not going to be on the list of greatest of all time. You’ll be on the list, I think, of great head coaches because you’ve already done something that some have not—like John Cooper, for instance.” 

That’s a straight fact. John Cooper suffered several losing streaks against Michigan, notably a tough four-year stretch from 1988 to 1991. Ohio State tied in 1992 but then lost 28-0 to their rivals in 1993, giving Cooper a dismal 0-1-5 record in his first six games against the Wolverines. Things only got worse. He suffered further losses between 1995 and 1997, followed by two more in 1999 and 2000. His record against Michigan ended poorly at 2-10-1—a stain on his career, regardless of all other victories. And that’s far from what Ryan Day did for the Buckeyes.

At Ohio State, even one loss to Michigan can knock a coach off the pedestal of greatness, and John Cooper’s tenure proves it. But there are coaches like Urban Meyer who went undefeated against Michigan with a 7-0 record. Great, right? Not so much. “You win a bunch, you get to stay. And Urban needed to step down because the headaches were getting to him, the stress of the job, and I think that’s going to come for every head coach at some point or another. You can only have this high of blood pressure for so long before people start to go, ‘Okay, let’s think about our health now that we are millionaires several times over’,” Young added.

So, coaching at Ohio State might bring a big bag, but stress and pressure come with it. But if Ryan Day wants a peaceful environment, he simply has to win against Sherrone Moore’s team. And RJ Young is pretty clear about it: “For Ryan Day to enter into that conversation of the greatest head coaches we’ve ever seen in the sport, I think he’d win at least four national championships at Ohio State.” That’s the least fans can expect from Day, especially when billions are at stake.

More pressure mounts on Ryan Day!

The Ohio-Michigan rivalry is not just about fans’ emotions and HC’s struggles, but also the economic impact it creates for Ohio State. And RJ Young laid out the massive figure, which might shock you. Young brought in a conversation he had previously had with Cardale Jones, a professional football player who had played for Ohio. Jones had spoken to an economics professor to understand the economic impact of the rivalry.

Young shared: “Look, R.J., I talked to an economics professor at Ohio State who told me that he believes there’s a billion dollars in economic impact and revenue in the state of Ohio and in Columbus after one home game for Ohio State, and consider you get six of those, sometimes seven, every year.” So, when this much is on the line, how can Ryan Day not feel the heat?

Ohio State football operates like a large business, not just a sports team. A whole cottage industry—small businesses, jobs, and media—has sprung up around Ohio State football. That’s what creates the most amount of pressure. “You also get an entire cottage industry that is built around Ohio State football is one of the most protected and profitable trademark copyrights in all of sports. It’s one of those programs on the short list that, when it is doing well, the sport is doing well. To be the head coach at Ohio State is not only to accept the mandate of needing to win each and every year and play for championships every year, it is accepting the mandate that if you do not, you have failed,” RJ Young said.

Remember when games got canceled because of COVID-19? Losing the Ohio-Michigan game impacted Fox Sports in terms of cash and audience. So their rivalry game impacts the entire chain.