Where Ohio State goes from here after losing The Game

This year’s edition of The Game really was for all the marbles. Now, with nothing left to do but await their fate, Lettermen Row’s Spencer Holbrook believes Ohio State may be left completely empty-handed this time.

Holbrook joined during Sunday’s episode of ‘Andy Staples On3’ to discuss the current outlook in Columbus. He pointed out how different that Ohio State’s scenario is this time around because, in 2022, they needed a lot less to happen in order to find their way back into the playoff picture.

“It’s interesting because, last year, you thought that they still had a chance at the College Football Playoff. They ultimately did because of the Caleb Williams injury and USC,” explained Holbrook. “This year? That path just doesn’t really look viable.”

“Last year? They could hold on to that and say, ‘Let’s see how the cards play out’. But it’s just a little different this year,” Holbrook said.

After Ohio State’s loss to Michigan last fall, they dropped three spots in the playoff rankings to No. 5. They were on the outside looking in but, because of the Trojans’ 23-point loss in the Pac-12 Championship, the Buckeyes were able to sneak back in at No. 4, even without a division or conference crown.

However, that looks far less likely in 2023. After their 30-24 defeat in Ann Arbor, Ohio State could land anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8. On top of that, they’re the only team in that group that’s not going to have a shot at a conference championship like the other teams in the top eight.

The Buckeyes had their opportunity to justify their postseason aspirations and, unfortunately, didn’t get the job done. That means, from here, all they can do is watch, hope for chaos, and see where they fall come the selection for the College Football Playoff.

“I really don’t know,” said Holbrook. “This is as peculiar as a time that I’ve been on the beat because it’s just – where do they go? It’s a great question.”

Ryan Day ‘sick’ after losing The Game

Ryan Day walked toward the locker room with his head down after his Buckeyes fell to Michigan for the third-straight season on Saturday.

There wasn’t much to say when Day spoke about his emotions after the game as he was justifiably dejected in the moments following the heartbreaking loss.

“Just sick. The fact that we came up short in this game — the whole year for it and we came up short,” Day said postgame.

Day didn’t have some feel-good speech that he gave the team after the crushing loss. Everyone in Ohio State’s program knows what losing to Michigan means for the program at the moment.

“I try to keep what we talk about in the locker room to ourselves. But we’re all disappointed,” Day continued. “We know what this game means to so many people. And to come up short is certainly crushing. Not only just because you invest your whole year into it but we know, at Ohio State, what this game means.”

“There’s a locker room in there that’s devastated. It wasn’t because of a lack of effort,” Day said. “But, again, we didn’t win the rushing yards, we didn’t win the turnover battle. So you’re not going to win a game.”