The ONE Goal: Ohio State Seniors Looking to End the Streak Against Michigan
For Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer, the noise, the pageantry, the sheer weight of facing Michigan carries a different kind of resonance. Growing up less than 30 minutes from Ohio Stadium, living and breathing Buckeye football, he understood what it meant. He witnessed the heartbreak of two straight losses and wants nothing more than to be part of a team that finally defeats “The Team Up North.”
Sawyer returned to Ohio State for one last shot at the Wolverines. Amongst 11 other seniors who chose to stay. A chance to not only rewrite history and etch their names in Buckeye lore.
Redemption: A Season-Defining Rivalry
Every game is big. But you can’t downplay the weight of the individual rivalry; whispers of “that game” in the personal locker room conversations. There’s the outward facade, the “one game at a time” mantra.
“It’s one-game at a time,” Sawyer said. “But, you can’t ignore what’s at stake. That Saturday means everything. We will practice socket pressures to defeat. We will push ourselves to our limits.”
The sting of three straight losses to its biggest rival is etched in the minds of the players, especially for those like Sawyer played in the win against Michigan, going 0-
Is there historical data suggesting Ohio State performs better against unranked Michigan teams?
## Interview: Can These Seniors End The Streak?
**Host**: Welcome back everyone. We’re gearing up for the biggest game of the year, The Game, and the pressure is on for Ohio State. Joining us today is Buckeye Football Historian, Dr. John Smith, to discuss this year’s team and the weight of a three game losing streak. Welcome, Dr. Smith.
**Dr. Smith:** Thanks for having me.
**Host:** Let’s get right to it. This team is senior-heavy. They know what it takes to win, but they also know the sting of losing to Michigan. How does that experience impact them going into this rivalry game?
**Dr. Smith**: Well, it’s a double-edged sword, isn’t it? On one hand, you have veteran leadership, guys who understand the magnitude of this rivalry, the history, the pain of those recent losses. They’re hungry for redemption.
But, the pressure can be immense, especially with so much riding on this game. Will they be able to compartmentalize that pressure and execute, or will the weight of history be too much to bear? That’s the million-dollar question. [[1](https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/11/28/how-ohio-state-osu-buckeyes-football-fared-rivalry-unranked-michigan/76572497007/)]
**Host:** It’s a fascinating dynamic. And this year’s game adds another layer because Michigan is coming in unranked, something that hasn’t happened often in recent years.
**Dr. Smith**: Absolutely. Historically, Ohio State has performed well against unranked Michigan teams. But as we know, records are made to be broken, and this game is rarely (if ever) predictable.
**Host:** Do you think the Buckeyes can pull it off? Will these seniors finally break the streak?
**Dr. Smith**: I’m not going to make any predictions, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this game came down to the wire. It always seems to with these two teams. And these Buckeye seniors, they have a point to prove. It’s shaping up to be a classic!
**Host**: We can’t wait to see it.
