Head coach Ryan Day stands alongside senior defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) ahead of the Purdue game Nov. 9 at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes went on to claim a 45-0 victory over the Boilermakers. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor
Every year, Ohio State begins its season with three simple goals: beat Michigan, win the Big Ten Championship and bring home a national title.
Despite finding overall success within the program, however, this year’s senior class has yet to achieve a single one.
Safety Lathan Ransom is one of the few Buckeyes on the roster to accomplish any of these feats.
Ransom was a member of the 2020 roster as a freshman, during which he saw his first in-game action, as he helped the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Championship and a College Football Playoff semifinal win.
But Ohio State failed to complete two of its three goals, as the Buckeyes didn’t play Michigan due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were later defeated by Alabama in a 52-24 blowout national title loss.
Ransom said that’s not going to fly this year, as the Buckeyes have already put themselves in a position to fulfill their goals and avoid being the first class since 1988 to not earn the coveted “gold pants.”
“It’s a huge motive; in fact, that’s one of our three goals that we have every year and that we haven’t achieved in the last couple years,” Ransom said. “We’re treating every game like a playoff because if we lose, it can change our destiny.”
Even first-year Buckeyes have extra motivation to beat the Wolverines.
Alabama transfer center Seth McLaughlin will face Michigan for the second straight season, but with different stakes.
While still a part of the Crimson Tide, McLaughlin fell to the Wolverines 27-20 in a heartbreaking loss in the 2023 College Football Playoff semifinals.
In his first meeting with the media Jan. 30 after transferring to Ohio State, McLaughlin said he’s excited for the opportunity to right his personal wrongs and finally realize success against Michigan.
“You know, playing them in the Rose Bowl, that clock on the wall 302 days kind of means something to me after playing in that game,” McLaughlin said.
Despite the undeniable animosity toward “The Team Up North,” McLaughlin said he doesn’t feel any excess pressure, as he treats every game as a must-win.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily pressure — it’s what our goals are,” McLaughlin said. “I just attribute it to just, that’s what I want to do; I want to go out there and win games, and I want that to be my legacy, to come in here and win a lot of ball games for the school.”
Senior defensive tackle Ty Hamilton expressed a similar sentiment: Winning is everything.
“I just want to win,” Hamilton said. “That’s the first thing we want to do, is win.”
Though Hamilton said it would be amazing for the Buckeyes to win out and finally accomplish one of their driving goals, he noted it’s just football when all is said and done.
“I feel we just set out to accomplish [our goals],” Hamilton said. “I’ve been here for a while, I played in tons of big games here and just at the end of the day, football is football.”
