The Game was one of “a million subjects” Tressel said he and Day conversed about while both attended the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer fundraiser.

When they set sail last February, that second straight loss to Michigan was even more vivid in the minds of all passengers, from fans up through the coaching staff. Tressel had watched the Buckeyes look tight and play tight with their season on the line. 

“Sometimes you get thinking about, ‘Are we going to win the game’ rather than, ‘Are we going to win the moment?’ ” Tressel said at the coaches’ clinic, revisiting his own impressions of the loss. “Kids are kids and they get nervous, and they don’t play like they can play.

“Just staying focused on the moment is what it’s all about.”

Diagnosing the problem is easy, though. The more difficult question — on that will remain unanswered after Saturday’s opener and the 10 games that follow before The Game — is whether OSU can transfer the mindset it used in Atlanta to Michigan Stadium.

I hope the lesson learned in that hard defeat is to play BUCKEYE ball every game including Nov 25th.

Meyer described his role as “more of a friend now.” Football, though, does not escape the conversation. Meyer said over the summer that Day reviewed 10 bullet points for winning the game with the team. “Control the line of scrimmage” was prominent on that list.

The biggest shift since Day took over had nothing to do with what the Buckeyes did inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center or even on the recruiting trail. Michigan simply fixed some of its own internal shortcomings and made itself national caliber again.

IMO, TTUN fixing themselves and the BUCKEYES struggling with defense has helped tilt the rivarly in their direction. 

https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2023/08/to-avoid-agony-in-the-game-ryan-da...