After all, Ohio State is at risk of dropping three straight rivalry games to the Wolverines for the first time in more than a quarter-century should it fail to turn things around in Ann Arbor on Nov. 25.
But Buckeye athletic director Gene Smith didn’t exude an all-or-nothing attitude toward the 119th edition of The Game during an exclusive interview with Eleven Warriors this week. Smith said so far this offseason, his conversations with head coach Ryan Day have centered around assembling the right pieces to make a championship run and focusing on winning the games that will make the Michigan matchup all the more consequential in the first place.