Ryan Day, college football's new statesman, flipped the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry 'with humility'

Day could've turned a win over Michigan into a wrestling promo. He chose a different path.

Ryan Day leads Ohio State onto the field at Michigan Stadium ahead of Saturday’s game against Michigan. (Photo courtesy of Ohio State athletics)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Surely he had some baseball metaphor holstered, a call back to the shot Jim Harbaugh took at him back in 2021. Or maybe, while not planting a flag on the Block M at Michigan Stadium himself, Ryan Day would have something ready for his postgame press conference alluding to what Michigan did in Ohio Stadium last year.

Nope.

“As you can imagine, I’ve thought over the years, after winning this game, what I’d say in the press conference,” Day said Saturday following Ohio State’s 27-9 win at Michigan that snapped a four-game losing streak in the rivalry and gave the Buckeyes their first win against the Wolverines in 2,191 days.

“I’m gonna save all of those comments, because I think the best thing to do is to win with humility. That’s what we’re gonna do. It speaks to our program. It speaks to what it means to be a Buckeye.”