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Has Ohio State coach ever lost four straight vs Michigan? Ryan Day couldn't avoid historic loss Saturday
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- Has Ohio State coach ever lost four straight vs Michigan? Ryan Day couldn't avoid historic loss Saturday
(This story was updated to reflect Ohio State 's loss to Michigan on Saturday. It previous was published before Saturday's game on Nov. 30, 2024.)
Ryan Day knows what is at stake when Ohio State football takes on Michigan Saturday in "The Game."
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It's the game that Buckeyes fans use to determine whether the season is a success. Lose, and frustration begins to build up over time — as evidenced by Day's comments this week on his weekly TV show "Game Time with Ryan Day."
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Entering this Saturday's 120th meeting against Michigan, Ohio State was not only the No. 2 nationally ranked team, but also the current betting favorite to win the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes had also lost three straight to "That Team Up North."
Day in 2023 became the first Ohio State coach since John Cooper in 1995-97 to lose three straight games to Michigan. He wasn't able to avoid an even worse streak in 2024 — one he would also share with Cooper and one that would place him in a group of coaches who had their own difficulties vs. the Wolverines — as the Buckeyes were stunned at Ohio Stadium on Saturday with a 13-10 upset loss to Michigan 13-10.
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Here's what to know about Day's record vs. Michigan, and the historical losing streak he'll look to avert when Ohio State takes on Michigan at noon ET on Saturday:
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Has an Ohio State football coach lost to Michigan four straight times?
Yes. With Ohio State falling to Michigan on Saturday, Ryan Day became the fourth Ohio State coach to lose four consecutive games to the Wolverines. The other three Buckeyes coaches to do so include: A.E. Herrnstein, John Wilce and John Cooper.
The first coach to lose four straight to Michigan was Herrnstein, from 1906 through 1909.
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Wilce owns the Buckeyes' longest losing streak for an Ohio State coach against Michigan, as they lost six consecutive games between 1922 and 1927. He finally managed to beat the Wolverines 19-7 in 1928, his final year in charge of the Buckeyes. Wilce's Buckeyes were shut out by the Wolverines four times.
Cooper also suffered multiple losing streaks to the Wolverines, including the program's last four-game skid vs. Michigan: He dropped four straight games from 1988 through 1991. Ohio State and Michigan tied each other in 1992 before the Buckeyes lost 28-0 in 1993, giving Cooper an 0-1-5 record in his first six games vs. the Wolverines.
He also lost three games vs. Michigan from 1995-97 and two more in 1999-2000, giving him an abysmal 2-10-1 record vs. the Buckeyes' most important opponent on the schedule.
History of Ohio State coaches to lose four straight times to Michigan
Here's an updated look at the full history of Ohio State coaches who lost four consecutive games to Michigan following Saturday's loss:
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A.E. Hernstein:
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1906:Michigan 6, Ohio State 0
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1907:Michigan 22, Ohio State 0
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1908:Michigan 10, Ohio State 6
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1909:Michigan 33, Ohio State 6
John Wilce
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1922:Michigan 19, Ohio State 0
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1923:Michigan 23, Ohio State 0
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1924:Michigan 16, Ohio State 6
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1925:Michigan 10, Ohio State 0
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1926:Michigan 17, Ohio State 16
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1927:Michigan 21, Ohio State 0
John Cooper
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1988:Michigan 34, Ohio State 31
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1989:Michigan 28, Ohio State 18
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1990:Michigan 16, Ohio State 13
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1991:Michigan 31, Ohio State 3
Ryan Day:
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2021:Michigan 42, Ohio State 27
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2022:Michigan 45, Ohio State 23
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2023:Michigan 30, Ohio State 24
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2024:Michigan 13, Ohio State 10
REQUIRED READING: Blame game: OSU coach Ryan Day takes most heat for UM losses even when players at fault
Ryan Day record vs Michigan
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Ryan Day record vs. Michigan:1-4
Day is now 1-4 against Michigan following Ohio State's surprising upset loss to the Wolverines on Saturday.
Since winning his first game against Michigan in 2019, Day has led Ohio State to losses in each of its last four meetings vs. Michigan. Earlier this week, Day spoke about the frustration of Ohio State losing three straight games to its Big Ten foe — even going as far as calling losing to Michigan one of the worst things to happen to both him and his family.
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"We know what's at stake. We've felt what it's like to not win this game and it's bad. It's one of the worst things that's happened to me in my life quite honestly," Day said.
"Other than losing my father and a few other things, it's quite honestly for my family, the worst thing that's happened. So we can never have that happen again and that's been the approach all season."
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Has Ohio State coach ever lost four straight to Michigan? What to know
