Ryan Day made a bold suggestion at Big Ten meetings earlier this spring. He said eliminating the Big Ten Championship Game would actually make The Game against Michigan even better. Ohio State fans were asked, and the answer was one-sided.

Cameron Teague Robinson surveyed 728 Ohio State fans for The Athletic and put that question to them directly. A massive 76.9% agreed with Day. Only 23.1% pushed back.

Day laid out exactly why he feels that way.

"I think it could even be more important," Day told The Athletic. "You're playing for either a chance to get into the Playoff or a chance to get seeded high to get a first-round bye. So all those are critically important to your success in the Playoff."

Robinson himself was not fully sold on Day's idea. He pointed out that the 2022 matchup already determined who went to the Big Ten title game, with the winner locking in both a Playoff and conference title berth. Then in 2023, Ohio State missed the CFP entirely because it lost to Michigan. The stakes have always been there.

"I'm not sure eliminating the Big Ten title game makes it better," Robinson wrote. "But it definitely doesn't lessen it like some might think."

Ohio State ended a four-year losing streak to Michigan last season with a 27-9 win in Ann Arbor. That result shifted the mood inside the fan base noticeably. Day's grade went from 63%, giving him an A last year, all the way up to 81.7% this year.

The anxiety around The Game never fully goes away, though. Robinson asked fans directly whether last year's win eased their nerves heading into 2026.

"From a scale of 1 to 10, it took the anxiety of The Game from an 11 to an 8 or 9," one fan said.

In the past, fans were very anxious because a loss could end the season or ruin playoff chances. Now, with more playoff spots available, a loss may not end everything. The pressure is still high, but not as extreme as before.

The Michigan game still got 41.7% of votes as the most exciting game on Ohio State's 2026 schedule. The rivalry is in Columbus this year. That changes the energy completely.

Why Ohio State's 2026 Schedule Makes The Game Higher Stakes Than Ever

The Buckeyes face off against the Texas Longhorns on the road in week two. Then Indiana Hoosiers, USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks. CBS Sports said it straight that this is the toughest schedule Day has ever had at Ohio State.

Michigan is the last regular season game on November 28. By that point, one bad loss earlier in the year could already have Ohio State on the edge of missing the playoff.

That is why The Game hits different this year. It is not just a rivalry. It could be the one that saves or ends their entire season.

Do you think Ryan Day's suggestion about eliminating the Big Ten title game would make The Game even bigger? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar