Ohio State remains in contention for a national championship as the Buckeyes prepare for a Rose Bowl showdown against Oregon on January 1. However, the general atmosphere among their fanbase doesn’t reflect optimism. Much of the frustration in Columbus stems from Ohio State’s fourth consecutive loss to Michigan on November 30. This particular defeat was especially bitter, as the Buckeyes entered the game as three-touchdown favorites against a Michigan team that had been struggling for bowl eligibility just weeks earlier in a matchup with Northwestern.
This loss to Michigan dropped head coach Ryan Day’s record in the rivalry to 1-4, a statistic that has ignited dissatisfaction within a rivalry as intense as this one. While some fans are withholding judgment until the season concludes, there is a vocal faction calling for Day’s dismissal regardless of how the College Football Playoff unfolds.
Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban weighed in on the matter during an interview with ESPN’s Pat McAfee, directing sharp criticism toward the Ohio State fanbase. He described their fixation on Michigan as a “psychotic obsession” and suggested they seek therapy to address it.
NEW: Nick Saban says Ohio State fans need to ‘get therapy’ for their ‘psychotic obsession’ with Michigan💀
“These Ohio State fans? You know, they’ve got a psychotic obsession with Michigan and they need to go get therapy or something to try to get it fixed.
They have a chance… pic.twitter.com/CSpMlspdfS
— On3 (@On3sports) December 27, 2024
Saban remarked, “We’ve criticized their fans a bit, but these Ohio State fans? They’ve got a psychotic obsession with Michigan, and they need therapy to fix it. They have a shot at the national championship, yet nobody’s excited about it because they lost to Michigan. It was a tough game, and they lost due to correctable mistakes.”
Saban’s blunt comments are likely to provoke pushback from Ohio State supporters, but they may resonate with fans of other teams, who might find his critique both humorous and accurate.
Despite the controversy, the Buckeyes’ focus remains on their upcoming Rose Bowl clash with Oregon, though the shadow of their Michigan rivalry loss looms large over the fanbase.