While Ryan Day believes the possibility of playing the Ohio State vs. Michigan game earlier in the season is “worth a long discussion,” Jim Harbaugh says he doesn’t have a strong opinion on when The Game should be played.
Asked for his opinion on the matter during his Big Ten Media Days press conference Thursday, Harbaugh said “we’ll play the game whenever it’s played.” His expectation is that The Game will continue to be played during the final week of the regular season, though he didn’t express any rebuttal to the suggestion that The Game should be moved up to avoid the two rivals playing each other in back-to-back weeks.
“We’ll play that whenever it’s scheduled to be played. We know we’re gonna play it every season at least once. But I don’t have a particular opinion of when it should be played,” Harbaugh said. “Right now, I think it’s been played that last game of the season. I think everybody’s used to that. That’s part of the Thanksgiving tradition now. So that’s when we’ll expect it.”
The three Michigan players who met with the media on Thursday afternoon – running back Blake Corum, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and cornerback Mike Sainstril – each also said they did not have a strong preference on when The Game should be played, expressing a belief that The Game will be the same regardless of when it’s played.
Michigan DL Kris Jenkins thinks OSU-Michigan will be the same regardless of when its played or if the two teams have to play each other in back-to-back weeks. pic.twitter.com/WeBzkM28rp
— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) July 27, 2023
“Whatever time The Game is, whenever it is, I mean, we're gonna play it the same way. We're gonna attack it the same way,” Jenkins said. “So whatever happens, if there is a change in the schedule like there potentially could be, I guess, we're gonna attack The Game and attack it with the same mentality that we attack everything else.”
Corum, however, pushed back strongly on the notion that Ohio State and Michigan playing each other in back-to-back weeks would take anything away from the regular-season contest.
“I think if anything, it will get the fans going even more,” Corum said. “The Game’s The Game. If you‘re going to go into The Game being like ‘We’re going to play them next week so it doesn’t matter if we lose this week,’ come on. What type of mindset is that? That’s a loser’s mindset. If I know I’m going to play them next week, I’m still going to play as hard as I am.”
Blake Corum doesnt think back-to-back OSU/Michigan games would lessen the intensity.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) July 27, 2023
If youre going to go into The Game being like Were going to play them next week so it doesnt matter if we lose this week, come on. What type of mindset is that? Thats a losers mindset. pic.twitter.com/RIMdq29cmZ
With the exception of 2020, when the game was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Michigan, Ohio State has faced Michigan in its final game of the regular season every year since 1942, when the Buckeyes finished their season with a game against the Iowa Seahawks one week after playing Michigan.
Ohio State and Michigan have never played each other twice in the same season, but the Big Ten’s move to a divisionless structure next year opens up the possibility that the Buckeyes and Wolverines could play each other in back-to-back weeks if The Game continues to be the regular-season finale and both Ohio State and Michigan make the Big Ten Championship Game.
As such, Day believes there should at least be a conversation about the possibility of playing The Game earlier in the year, though he didn’t specify when exactly he thinks The Game should be played. Day indicated Wednesday that there have already been conversations about that possibility.
“The Game could not have an impact on a whole bunch in terms of if both teams are in the Big Ten Championship Game already, then could it minimize The Game? That’s my concern,” Day said Wednesday. “Even if you played it Week 11, Week 10, no matter what, it’s gonna matter. But if you know you’re playing them in the Big Ten Championship Game already, it could be something we haven’t experienced before. So I think it’s worth a discussion.”
