Ohio State-Michigan Football Rivalry Needs Reset After Postgame Melee

Before the melee, the pepper spray and the hostile booing that characterized a rivalry that has gone to the extreme, there were side line crying. There were two minutes left between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines and still, there was a feeble hope that the home team would come up with a way of winning the game of the century. The Ryan pain Day’s of family. the He moment could had see already his affected daughters’ faces on the Ohio State sideline frozen, even as the game was coming down to the final moments. The score was tied and it was clear that the end was near. Michigan pounded the ball into the hands of the offensive line on every down and thus killed plenty of time before sending out the field goal team. Dominic Zvada made a three pointer which cut the Buckeyes’ lead to 13-10 and the last possession of the Buckeyes was four plays of Futility and that was it, the sadness couldn’t be hidden any longer. Everyone started weeping. Day, the head coach of Ohio State, told an Ohio TV station that he and his family have been losing to Michigan for the last three games: “It’s one of the worst things that has happened to me in my life, quite honestly. Other than losing my father and a few other things, like it’s quite honestly, for my family, the worst thing that has happened. So we can never have that happen again, ever. ” It happened again. A game in which Ohio State was favored to win by 20 points. Having a $20 million squad that was constructed in a very direct, swift, and unambiguous fashion in response to Michigan’s victory at the national championship last season. Realizing how much it hurt Day’s kids, and then seeing the teams engage in a postgame brawl, it is time for a reality check. This has all gone too far. Urban Meyer transformed Michigan-Ohio State challenge into something close to a life and death situation and dominated the rivalry. Jim Harbaugh rebuilt and avenged by going 3-0 against Ohio State as a coach and a member of staff of Connor Stalions who engaged in sign stealing that got Harbaugh suspended by the Big Ten and is under investigation by the NCAA. And then there is the postgame scene that both schools should be ashamed of, but most likely won’t. The match that ignited this postgame confrontation was when the Wolverines went to the middle of the Ohio Stadium and ‘plant the flag on the scarlet ‘O’. Buckeyes were in the middle of humming the traditional ‘Carmen Ohio’ song to entertain the student population as they left the field and the crowd booed and shouted which prompted the players to look behind them. Baker Mayfield once did the same thing here, in 2017, after an Oklahoma victory. But this is Michigan, the eternal rival. The Ohio State players rushed to them and the players and coaches exchanged punches and it was hard to tell who hit whom among the dozens of players and staff. Police went into the action and began using pepper spray on people, players, coaches, journalists and anyone else present. It was an overreaction to an overreaction; It was an overreaction to an overreaction. The Ohio State University Police released a statement: “Following the game, officers from multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in breaking up an on-field altercation. During the scuffle, multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray. OSUPD is the primary law enforcement agency for games and will continue to investigate the matter. ” Day, when asked about the melee, said: “I don’t know all the details of it, but these guys are looking to plant a flag on our territory and our guys weren’t about to let that happen. ” The right reaction to loss and Michigan’s celebration would have been to just keep your head down and get off the field. But this was another example of a rivalry taken to the extreme. This is a football game, man. And it has gone beyond the boundaries of healthy competition, into a domain that it shouldn’t belong to anymore. Yes, there have been some instances: The Ohio State players destroying the ‘Go Blue’ banner in Michigan Stadium in the 1970s; Woody Hayes, in 1973, hit a sideline marker over his knee. But in the present time, we have arrived at a stage where even losing is unforgivable. John Cooper was in 13 years as the head coach of the Buckeyes with a 2-10-1 record against Michigan. The first four years Harbaugh was Tennessees coach he lost to Ohio State and still was given a chance to redeem himself. It is hard to believe that such patience is possible in the present world where everything seems to be breaking. Day is in his third year in Ohio State and has a record of 66-10 and yet this does not stop him from being booed off the field by the world’s angriest non-NFL fans. It was something his kids had to endure. This is what Day signed up for as the coach of the Buckeyes and he is being paid extremely well, in excess of $ 10 million a year. Beating Michigan is part of the package especially a 6-5, three touchdown underdog Michigan that is struggling to find its direction after Harbaugh. But to think – and say – that it “can never happen again, ever,” is unrealistic and extreme. It’s become unmanageable given a rivalry he can’t seem to overcome. So it is time to freshen up and for Day and for Ohio State. There are many big-time conference programs that would love to get him, and it is evident that the Buckeye fans would love to see someone new. Ohio Stadium field was emptied and athletic director Ross Bjork walked out to the shouts of the audience telling him to get a new coach. He should pay attention to these calls and find a way to extricate the institution from the contractual arrangement with Day that is scheduled to last until 2029. But here’s the wildly awkward part: Ohio State is most likely going to the College Football Playoff. It is still possible for the team to win the national championship and this is a good thing because it will not have to play the rival Michigan again. Has any school in this position ever faced the need to change coaches? If Ohio State wins it all, a 1-4 record in an all-consuming rivalry can be pardoned. This of course puts even more pressure on Day if he wants to remain in his position; win the title and step down. In order to win that title, he has to find a way of composing this team which might now be headed for a playoff game on the road instead of one in The Horseshoe. “We can still win every game left on the schedule and become champions of the nation,” said Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who threw two interceptions in the game.