Michigan Alum Throws Shade at Ohio State’s Latest Announcement After Ryan Day’s Tough Admission About Life

Why wait till the start of the season, when you can already start now? Well, this is not some motivational mantra that coaches are teaching their players, but rather the next chapter in the Michigan-Ohio state rivalry—one that’s even pushed a Michigan alum to put his hand into the fire.

It all started with a dig that Ohio folks will consider particularly normal, but their fierce rival will definitely not! On May 28, Ohio State Football’s official Instagram page, like every other program, decided to share the game times for four of their upcoming matchups. Captioned, “Game times announcement Football is just around the corner ,” the post showed that the defending champions will be clashing against the Texas Longhorns on August 30 at noon, then vs Grambling on September 6 at 3:30 pm, with another game vs Ohio on September 13 at 7 pm. However, as the list reached the fourth matchup, the Buckeyes’ social media admin decided to have some fun of his own.

“TUN” read the name of the opponent scheduled to clash on November 29 at 12pm on FOX. Now, it doesn’t need much digging to realize that the acronym meant The Team Up North. Hilariously (or controversially—you decide), even Michigan’s logo wasn’t mentioned. Petty? Absolutely. Did it have the intended effect? We’d better ask Michigan alum-turned-broadcaster Rich Eisen.

He wasn’t just mocking the name game—he used it to point out the double standards and insecurity buried in Ohio State’s behavior. “It’s just like, ‘We can’t even say the name. We hate you so much’. Well, I hate you too, but I can say your name. And you know what I can also say? I can say four wins in a row…It’s childish. Just say the name…You can’t wear blue. You can’t say the letter M…You can’t say the words ‘Michigan.’ You gotta say ‘Ichigan.’ It’s literally like you’re a three-year-old. Or—wait a minute—a four-year-old, which is as many years—as many losses in a row—you’ve had against Michigan.”

Notably, Ohio State’s dig comes merely a week after the Wolverines’ freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood didn’t leave any stones unturned to threaten its rival. Hanging out with his friends at Ohio’s Cedar Point amusement park, when someone had joked, “We can’t take over the whole Ohio,” Underwood didn’t flinch as he shot back: “I can. I can run this s–t.” But Bryce didn’t stop there.

Earlier this month, the player had appeared at Eisen’s show where he revealed an interesting conversation with Ohio native LeBron James. “I just dapped him up and stuff and we started talking and I said, ‘I just have to let you know, I go to Michigan. It’s over for Ohio State’,” the player revealed. That’s more than confidence—that’s what this rivalry is made of. Michigan isn’t just beating Ohio State on the field; some say it’s winning in the culture war too.

Having said that, Eisen’s takedown didn’t just make headlines—it reflected what many already feel: That Ohio State’s been more focused on playing games off the field than fixing the ones on it.

Ryan Day’s candid life reflections

Things aren’t getting easier for Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day. At Ohio State, beating Michigan isn’t just a goal—it’s the standard. It’s what kept Urban Meyer around as a legend, thanks to his perfect 7-0 record against the Wolverines. But now that Day has lost four in a row? The seat is hotter than ever.

Sure, he just delivered a national championship win over Notre Dame. But that doesn’t buy him much time—not when the fanbase lives and breathes The Game. The stakes are high, and even a simple off-season golf outing turned into a stress test.

Day showed up at Muirfield Village to play in the Memorial Tournament Pro-Am, hoping for a little downtime. But standing on the first tee, nerves took over. “It’s like the job isn’t stressful enough,” he said. “Like I need this stress in my life.” And that says everything.

Playing alongside golf pro Justin Thomas and coaching icon Nick Saban, Day looked every bit like a man under pressure—joking, sweating, and just trying to stay composed. When he admitted, “I’m going to be nervous,” Thomas gave him a dose of perspective: “This isn’t what you do, so it’s not something you should be really comfortable in.”

Despite some shaky shots, Thomas actually came away impressed. “He definitely struck me as somebody that, if he gave it some time and some practice, really could be a solid player,” Thomas said. “He hit some bad ones, but he hit enough solid ones and hit the shots that were required that you don’t just do by accident.” That’s kind of Ryan Day in a nutshell—capable, even successful, but always under the microscope. And no matter how many wins he stacks up elsewhere, Michigan looms like a shadow.

The post Michigan Alum Throws Shade at Ohio State’s Latest Announcement After Ryan Day’s Tough Admission About Life appeared first on EssentiallySports.