Could Ohio State’s loss to Michigan ultimately work in their favor?
When the Buckeyes lost to Michigan at the end of the regular season, it felt like a major setback. Ohio State, with just one prior loss, faced off against a Michigan team in transition but fell 13-10 in a heartbreaking defeat to their archrivals.
However, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban believes the loss to Michigan may have been a blessing in disguise for Ohio State, who are now favorites to win the College Football Playoff national championship.
On ESPN’s College GameDay, Saban shared his perspective, saying, “I think Ohio State has got a complete team…Sometimes you need to lose. We won 19 games in a row twice, and we needed to lose because the focus and preparation weren’t there. When they lost to Michigan, they got humiliated, and that humiliation created a tremendous amount of motivation and attention to detail. Their players came together, and I think they’re playing great football.”
Although Ohio State wasn’t undefeated going into the Michigan game, their only prior loss was a narrow one-point defeat to a strong Oregon team. Other than that, the Buckeyes had been cruising through the season. It seems that the loss to Michigan sparked something within the team, awakening them ahead of the College Football Playoff.
Since that defeat, Ohio State has dominated in their two playoff games. They scored 42 points in their opening round victory over Tennessee and put up 41 points in a commanding win against Oregon in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes crushed the undefeated and top-ranked Ducks, leading 34-8 at halftime. Ohio State will aim to carry that momentum into their upcoming matchup against Texas in the CFP Semifinals. If they go on to win the national title, their most difficult moment of the season could end up being the key motivation they needed.
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