30 THE WOLVERINE
❱
DECEMBER 2023
BY JOHN BORTON
T
he Game always compels the
nation. Michigan's rise back
to the national elite under
Jim Harbaugh only deepens
that fixation.
Two straight wins over Ohio State, two
straight Big Ten championships, and two
consecutive College Football Playoff ap-
pearances put Harbaugh's Wolverines
firmly back into the national conscious-
ness.
It absolutely grabbed the attention of
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, 1-2 in his bat-
tles with the Wolverines and currently
ranked No. 1 in the nation who is loudly
touting his team's toughness.
That's because 86-year-old former
Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz called him
out on that point earlier this year, noting:
"He lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson,
Michigan twice — and everybody who
beats them does so because they're more
physical than Ohio State."
Day set out to prove his team's tough-
ness by proclaiming it loudly, after the
Buckeyes' 17-14 comeback win at Notre
The Game Looms
LarGe
aGain
Many Plot Twists Enhance This
Michigan-Ohio State Showdown
