Ryan Day Shares Bold CFP Idea To Enhance Ohio State vs. Michigan Football Rivalry
Ohio State coach Ryan Day is unafraid to get fired up. The latest example of this came during the Big Ten's summer meetings in California, where much discourse was had regarding the conference's future.
In doing so, according to a piece from The Athletic's Scott Dochterman, Day admitted that the conference's potential elimination of the end-of-season conference title game may make the stakes of "The Game" that much bigger.
"I think with the elimination of the championship game, it keeps that rivalry as fierce as it's ever been, the stakes just as high," Day said.
Why Day suggested the change
Day then addressed the "why" behind the potential change. Simply put, it would be bigger than bragging rights on an annual basis.
"You're playing for either a chance to get into the Playoff or a chance to get seeded high to get a first-round bye," Day said. "Or, if you are already maybe predicted to be one of the top eight schools, then you're fighting for a high seed. So, all those are critically important to your success in the Playoff."
The Wolverines notoriously upset the Buckeyes to conclude the 2024 regular season, which arguably led to an unthinkable springboard propelling Day's team to the national title game (and college football's mountaintop).
Despite winning a national title that year, the Big Ten title game has been less kind to the Buckeyes in recent seasons. Ohio State's title game heartbreaker against the eventual national title-winning Indiana Hoosiers was another stain Day has to carry with him for the rest of his coaching career.
Day's Buckeyes will attempt to exact revenge against the Hoosiers in October in Bloomington, as coach Curt Cignetti will try and keep the newfound momentum rolling for Indiana following its undefeated season last year.
Concerning the Wolverines, though, the Buckeyes' 27-9 win in Ann Arbor last November had the rip coard impact they needed to validate the rivalry's importance once again. The Buckeyes went through a dry spell before then, particularly with crushing defeats in previous years where both teams seamingly had everything to play for.
At the end of the day, though, the Buckeyes got the last laugh when it mattered most. The rivalry still carries immense weight. And, if the version beyond this season determines how a 24-team CFP field plays out, there is little room to suggest the rivalry stays exactly as is for the foreseeable future.
As Day summed up, it more than likely won't.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ohiostate as Ryan Day Shares Bold CFP Idea To Enhance Ohio State vs. Michigan Football Rivalry.
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 1:22 PM.