Mike Vrabel's Bold Take On How Losing To Michigan Helped Ohio State In 2024

At the time, it seemed like the end of the world. Heck, it felt like it was the end of Ryan Day's time at Ohio State.

As the Buckeyes walked off the field the loser of "The Game" against the Michigan Wolverines for the fourth time in a row, the sky seemed to be falling.

Just weeks later, the Buckeyes found themselves on top of the college football world again after making a magical run through the College Football Playoff.

From rock bottom to the mountaintop, Ryan Day's team pulled off the proverbial comeback for the ages. They were focused and fueled. They ran through opponents like they were barely even there. Down went Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and then Notre Dame.

Speaking of fuel, recently speaking on "The Triple Option" podcast, current New England Patriots head coach and former Ohio State linebacker Mike Vrabel revealed that he believes the loss to Michigan is what drove OSU on its big CFP run.

“They just pissed them off, I think,” Vrabel said. “At least, they used them to piss them off and end the tournament.”

End the CFP the Buckeyes did. They beat their opponents by a combined score of 145 to 75. By halftime in the National Championship game, the Buckeyes were nursing a 21-7 lead over the Fighting Irish and they were clearly playing on a different level.

The Buckeyes leveled up in a big way, and if it was that loss to Michigan that did indeed end up fueling them, perhaps that win may not feel as good in Ann Arbor as it did in November.