Ohio State may have claimed the pinnacle of college football, emerging victorious in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, but when it comes to the rivalry with Michigan, the Buckeyes are still in the shadows.
On Saturday, November 30, Michigan handed Ohio State a shocking 13-10 loss in Columbus, extending their dominance in the rivalry to four consecutive victories.
The win meant that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day now holds a 1-4 record against Michigan, despite his team’s overwhelming success in the Big Ten since taking over from Urban Meyer.
While Ohio State’s senior class left the field as national champions, they did so without the traditional reward of “Gold Pants” – a cherished memento given to Buckeyes players for every victory over Michigan.
In years past, Ohio State players often graduated with two, three or even four pairs of Gold Pants.
Yet this current group of Buckeyes, despite winning the national championship, graduated with none.
Needless to say, it’s a fact that Michigan’s players haven’t been shy to remind them of.
One such player, Michigan’s star running back Donovan Edwards, has taken to taunting the Buckeyes about the lack of Gold Pants among their seniors.
Edwards, who was part of the Wolverines’ four consecutive victories over Ohio State from 2021 to 2024, is now signing autographs with a cheeky inscription: “No Gold Pants.”
In a rivalry as intense as Michigan-Ohio State, a win – especially four in a row – gives a player plenty of bragging rights.
Even with the Buckeyes eventually winning the national championship, the Wolverines’ dominance in their head-to-head matchups is something Edwards and Michigan will continue to savor.
The rivalry will continue when the teams meet again in Ann Arbor in November 2025. Until then, Edwards’ taunts will likely echo through Ohio State fans’ minds.
All of this begs the question: Would Ohio State seniors take a 4-0 record against Michigan over a national title but an 0-4 mark against the hated Wolverines???
