Ryan Day and Ohio State catch strays from Shane Gillis at ESPYs on over losing streak to Michigan despite winning national championship

Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes were nominated for the Best Team Award at the 2025 ESPY Award ceremony. They were up against the Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Liberty, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia Eagles, North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Women’s Lacrosse team, United States Women’s Soccer National Team and the University of Connecticut Huskies Women's Basketball team.

The reigning national football champions lost the award to the Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. To rub salt into the wounds, comedian Shane Gillis poked fun at the Buckeyes for their four-game losing streak against Big Ten rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. Gillis said:

"Like Ohio State football who won the national championship but also lost to Michigan."

It's been years since the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Michigan Wolverines in college football. Last season was particularly frustrating as Ryan Day's side lost by just three points.

The game was finely poised until Dominic Zvada made a perfectly placed 21-yard field goal with just 45 seconds left in the game. It ended the Buckeyes' hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game.

Ryan Day's Ohio State looking to go back-to-back

Ryan Day and the Buckeyes will look to put the negative memories of playing against Michigan behind them as they chase back-to-back national championships in 2025. No team has achieved this feat since Georgia did so in the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.

BET MGM has the Buckeyes as favorites to win the 2025 national championship with +500 odds. They'll fancy their chances with Ryan Day calling the plays in his 10th season as the team's head coach.

The Buckeyes begin their title defense with a matchup against the Texas Longhorns in a 2024 College Football Playoffs rematch. The Buckeyes defeated Steve Sarkisian's team last time out and will look to start the upcoming campaign with a statement win against one of the most stacked sides in the country.

The Ohio Buckeyes also have games against the Washington Huskies, Wisconsin Badgers, Penn State Nittany Lions and UCLA Bruins to navigate. They'll close out their season with a trip to Michigan to face off against Sherrone Moore's Wolverines. Ohio State fans would want nothing more than a win against Michigan.