It was always about this moment, anyway.
Not an October prove-it game that may or may not mean anything by the time December rolls around.
Not another speed bump of a November contender who believed they’d figured it out, or a pretender in October that barely scratched two yards on four plays from the 3.
This season was about Michigan for Ohio State and coach Ryan Day. There are jobs – and the looming financial NIL arms race between the schools – on the line.
“It all leads to this,” Day says. “Everything you do, and the decisions you make, lead up to this game.”
Day has tried nearly everything to break a three-game losing streak to Michigan, to turn around a rivalry that was once so one-sided in favor of Ohio State, Michigan’s only win since 2004 was against a Buckeyes interim coach.
He fired a defensive coordinator. He fired a quarterback. He hired a sitting Power Four conference coach as offensive coordinator to revamp his wildly successful offense — to develop “toughness” and “attitude.”
He bought the best running back (Quinshon Judkins) and safety (Caleb Downs) in college football this offseason from the transfer portal, and outbid everyone for his starting quarterback (Will Howard).
All in the name of not just beating Michigan, but becoming more like the Wolverines.
Yet here’s the most intriguing aspect of this rare rivalry, this disgust between universities that includes snitching on each other to the NCAA (hello, Connor Stalions and Jim Tressel): the hate will only get worse moving forward.
Now that Michigan has finally figured out the only way to keep pace with Ohio State is to play the give until it hurts game, the financial gloves are off in the NIL and free player movement world. Michigan vs. Ohio State will quickly become the Yankees vs. the Dodgers vs. no salary cap.
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As a sage philosopher once wrote, he with the most cash buys the best players and wins the games.
Or something like that.
When Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No.1 high school player and one of the best high school quarterbacks in decades, last week flipped a longtime commitment from LSU to Michigan for a reported $10-12 million NIL deal, money ball officially arrived in Ann Arbor.
None other than Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback ever and former Michigan star, reportedly got involved by promising to be a resource for Underwood. In September, Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy spoke to Michigan coach Sherrone Moore and said he’d be willing to give $3 million to ‘find a quarterback.’
Apparently, he got one. And that’s not the first, or last step Michigan has taken into the NIL world.
It’s just the first significant shot across the bow of Ohio State, with intent to deliver the message that Michigan, with its large and wealthy alumni base, will rage, rage against the dying of the light.
That Michigan, after tasting a national title in 2023, wants more. Even without the unbeatable team of former coach Jim Harbaugh and Stalions.
That Michigan won’t stand still while Ohio State, with its own large and wealthy alumni base, spends $43 million this season with one, and only one goal: beat Michigan and win the national title. In that order.
These two lovable lunatics are just getting started.
If you thought taking play calling away from a defensive coordinator three weeks into the season was odd, or firing a potentially elite quarterback because he couldn’t win The Game (that’s exactly what happened to Kyle McCord) was strange, or hiring Chip Kelly to make your team tougher to win The Game was drastic, you obviously didn’t follow what unfolded last year at Michigan.
Because once you take the plunge of fighting your own conference and the NCAA about not one, but two ongoing NCAA investigations of your sitting head coach, you’ve just about crossed every line of winning at all cost.
What’s another $40 million a year, give or take a few million, to continue the fight?
There are jobs on the line, everyone. And it has always been about this moment.
He with the most cash buys the best players and wins The Game.
This time, and moving forward in the new world of Michigan vs. Ohio State.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.