Of Ohio State’s three postgame press conferences Saturday, Cody Simon’s was perhaps the most gut-wrenching.
Simon was the first of 11 Buckeye seniors to announce his return to Columbus last season, and their top on-field reason for coming back was to beat the Michigan team that had knocked them off the previous three years. But Simon stood teary-eyed in front of the mic, fingers tapping with emotion, grappling with what had just unfolded in a 13-10 home loss to the Wolverines.
“I can’t really speak to everyone else, but I just feel like I let your guys down, let all of Buckeye Nation down,” Simon said. “There was more we could have done – I don’t know. We just could have done more. Let you guys down. I’m sorry.”
While Ohio State had essentially already locked up a College Football Playoff berth, that is no consolation tonight for the Buckeyes’ players, coaches or fans. Nor should it be. Saturday night is about processing what transpired on the field in The Game, especially for the seniors – old and new – who will finish their Ohio State careers winless against the Wolverines.
“It's hard, man,” quarterback Will Howard said. “I don't really have much (to say) right now. I do know that we're a two-loss team. We're going to get into the playoffs and we're going to make a run, but I mean, this one hurts. It hurts.”
It perhaps piles more disappointment, if that’s possible, onto Ohio State’s loss to Michigan that it had a chance to have a full-circle moment.
After Howard threw his second interception – which resulted in the Buckeyes failing to score points in the red zone for the third time on Saturday – Michigan produced its second extended drive of the game against an OSU defense doing everything it could to carry the team. It felt like a death by 1,000 papercuts, with the Wolverines going 77 yards in 15 plays and eating more than nine minutes off the third- and fourth-quarter clock.
Then, on that 15th play, a 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard line, senior defensive end Jack Sawyer dropped into coverage and leaped to pick off Michigan quarterback Davis Warren.
CAPTAIN JACK WITH THE INTERCEPTION
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 30, 2024
UNBELIEVABLE PLAY FOR @OHIOSTATEFB pic.twitter.com/RLD2Qwa3Tc
Sawyer and Simon joined Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka, Ty Hamilton, Jordan Hancock, TreVeyon Henderson, Donovan Jackson, Lathan Ransom, JT Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams as rising seniors with NFL draft stock who returned for Ohio State in 2024. Sawyer is a native of Pickerington, Ohio, a Columbus suburb. He’s been a lifelong fan of Ohio State and grew up in the Michigan rivalry. He helped spearhead the return of his teammates.
But that would prove the last moment of joy for Buckeye fans in Columbus on Saturday. Ohio State went three plays and out on its next drive, Michigan marched 57 yards in 11 plays and kicked a go-ahead field goal with 45 seconds remaining and OSU’s last-chance possession went four plays and out.
“Never thought this would happen right here,” Ryan Day said. “We were expecting to win this game and then go play in the Big Ten Championship Game, and neither of those things happened. So, we don't know what's going on now. It's just too soon to try to figure out what's next. Once we have more information, in about a week we'll figure that part of it out. I'll bring them together here pretty soon and talk to them. But there's a lot of guys who are crushed right now.”
This was also an all-in season for Ohio State. The Buckeyes spent millions of NIL dollars to go out and acquire an elite transfer portal haul and facilitate the return of their senior class. Howard was one of the portal acquisitions, as was safety Caleb Downs, who intercepted a pass at the Michigan 16-yard line only for his team’s offense to go zero yards in three plays and miss a 34-yard field goal. Downs finished with 11 tackles alongside his interception.
Howard has emerged as one of the leaders of the Buckeyes’ squad after transferring in to play quarterback from Kansas State. But whether his two picks shook his confidence or the big hit he took in the second quarter that caused him to leave and re-enter the game impacted him throughout, he had the worst performance of his Ohio State career vs. the Wolverines. He finished 19-of-33 (58%) for 175 yards, just 5.3 yards per attempt.
There was no doubting Howard’s desire to win entering the game. He, as much as anyone, wanted the victory for the seniors who have now fallen all four times they’ve faced Michigan. He himself is a senior, even if this was his only time taking the field for The Game.
“It's hard right now,” Howard said. “I don't know if I have the answer to that right now at this moment. But I'm going to go and get with my family, regroup. And man, I still love this team. I still love this university. And I'm just – I'm sorry. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be a Buckeye and I'm sorry I couldn't get this one done.”
Like any great tragedy, it ended in despair and ugliness. The Buckeyes’ seniors watched the seconds tick away at their last chance at attaining two of their three yearly goals – beating Michigan and winning the Big Ten – then a brawl ensued as Michigan tried to plant a flag at midfield.
Beforehand, as Ohio State failed to win the game at various points in the second half, boos started raining down from the crowd at the Shoe. Day didn’t blame them for their anger.
“Everybody wants to win this game in the worst way,” Day said. “Nobody wants to win it more than we do. And it's our number one goal every year. And so when you don't do that, there's disappointment and frustration. So, I don't blame anybody for being upset. I'm upset more than anybody. And those players are, too, and the coaches and everybody that goes at it. And we know what we're getting ourselves into here.”
