With Ohio State already clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship game and holding the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, its possible for the Buckeyes to win both a Big Ten championship and a national title without beating Michigan this weekend.
That idea doesn't sit quite right with noted Michigan beater Jim Tressel, who won seven Big Ten titles and a national title at Ohio State with a 9-1 record against Michigan.
Tressel acknowledges the titles would be exciting, but it wouldn't feel complete.
If the 2019 Ohio State Buckeyes won a National championship but lost to Michigan is the season tainted? We asked Jim Tressel. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/zzvjCstdqi
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) November 27, 2019
"It would not be perfect, that's for sure," Tressel said on SiriusXM radio. "It would be exciting and all that, but on that championship ring, you couldn't have the score of a victory over Michigan. And if you look at any of our guys' Big Ten Championship rings or national championship rings, it's got the score of the Ohio State/Michigan game – which is pretty darn important."
Buckeye fans are undoubtedly hoping they won't have to deal with that anyway, and that Ohio State takes care of business in Ann Arbor on Saturday, then brings home the titles afterwards.
