Ohio State AD has interesting take on recent Michigan losses

Ohio State director of athletics Gene Smith stands on the field prior to the NCAA football game against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. Photo Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

After roughly two decades of dominance in their rivalry against the Michigan Wolverines, the Ohio State Buckeyes have lost consecutive games to their arch-rivals. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith acknowledges that, but he thinks there is more to what the Buckeyes are trying to achieve.

In a new interview with Griffin Strom of Eleven Warriors, Smith responded to fan concerns about the Buckeyes’ two-game losing streak to the Wolverines. He pointed out that Ohio State was trying to win national championships, and that the Michigan game would have been less of a concern had the team been able to beat Georgia and TCU in the College Football Playoff.

“It’s so funny, everybody’s so focused on just one game,” Smith said. “We were basically one point away from being in the national championship game, and I think had we got that two points we needed to convert and ultimately played TCU — I feel confident we would have performed well and won a national championship — I’m not so sure about all this chatter.”

Smith is not necessarily wrong here. The Buckeyes lost by just one to a Georgia team that went on to dismantle TCU and win a national championship. That could have easily been Ohio State if Noah Ruggles’ 50-yard field goal with three seconds left had been successful.

On the other hand, coach Ryan Day has actually taken some criticism for the two losses against Michigan, though most have firmly rejected that criticism. Still, Smith will not want to look like he is downplaying what is always the most important game on the Buckeyes’ schedule.