Ohio State’s 27–9 win in Ann Arbor set the stage for a spirited Downs 2 Business, as Caleb and Josh Downs relived the boos, the snow, the relief, and Brutus’ turf art. They broke down the key moments of The Game, praised standout performances, previewed the Big Ten title matchup, and even brought on their dad, Gary Downs, to share what it was like freezing in the stands.
Thoughts on the Michigan Win and Environment
The show started with a game that was four years in the making.
"It felt like a monkey off of our back," Caleb said. "I can't describe how much that meant for Coach Day to get that win for him."
Ultimately, it came down to winning individual battles: "Beat the man in front of you" was the message from Ryan Day and his staff.
"I can't describe how much that meant for Coach Day to get that win for him."– Caleb Downs on the Michigan Win
On the environment, it was hostile, and Caleb loved it.
"We definitely got booed from the moment we got there," he said. "I love seeing that type of stuff. I feel like it adds fuel to the fire. We were on the bus ride in, and the fans were chanting, 'Choke! Choke! Choke!'"
Even postgame, the rivalry was on full display.
"There were people sitting outside by our bus an hour after the game – Michigan fans," Caleb shared. "Go home. You don't have anything else to do than just sit here and yell stuff at the bus?"
The snow that fell during the second half just made it that much sweeter, according to Caleb.
"I was telling my teammates it was cinematic. It felt like it was a movie. It was cold, for sure, but in the moment, it wasn't as cold as I thought it would be."
He continued, "When it started snowing in the second half, it was beautiful. That was my first time playing in the snow, so it was exciting, for sure."
You know Caleb and Josh had to touch on Brutus' now-legendary move of defacing the turf at Michigan Stadium.
"That was a W move," Caleb said. "I didn't notice he did it until after the game. He was standing on business. I can't believe they really let him do that!"
Breaking Down "The Game"
After the Buckeyes fell into a 6-0 hole to start the game, which is incidentally Ohio State's largest deficit of the season, Caleb shared how his team responded.
After the defense held Michigan to a field goal following Julian Sayin's first drive interception, the mindset was, "They're not going to score."
"And then it was inevitable for the offense to do what they were supposed to do," Caleb said. "We felt confident the whole time."
The brothers spent a couple of minutes marveling at how Michigan's Jaishawn Barham wasn't ejected from the game for appearing to headbutt a referee and then got into how nervous the team was during the review of Jeremiah Smith's touchdown snag before Caleb raved about Ohio State's offensive line.
"We came in on Sunday and they said everyone on the O-line graded out above 88%. They're at the point of attack every play. It's not like a DB, where some plays the ball goes away from you. They're at the point of attack every play and that they all graded out above 88% is crazy.
"They had 30-some knockdowns total, like throwing people to the ground on plays."
"And then all of them had at least eight knockdowns individually. They had 30-some knockdowns total, like throwing people to the ground on plays."
Freshman running back Bo Jackson took advantage of the line's play.
"Bo, he went out there and did his job," Caleb said. "He had that one run where he hit that crazy stop-and-go. That was tough to see on the sideline. He was doing it on the field and then whenever they had something to say to him, he was standing up on it. I respect what he did on Saturday."
The discussion then turned to Davison Igbinosun's fourth quarter interception and the helmetless strut he took across the field.
"I think it was befitting him going out that way in his last regular season game," Caleb laughed. "But it was at the end of the game, so I was like, I don't really care."
Post-Game Antics
Josh couldn't believe Michigan's players had the audacity to guard their midfield Block M after the flag planting at Ohio Stadium in 2024.
"I felt like it's crazy to be like before the game, 'Hey guys, if it doesn't go our way, we're going to stand here and try to fight on the field,'" he said. "To have that meeting pre-game is just a weird situation. That you talked about losing. That's just weird."
Previewing the Big Ten Championship Game
Onto the next one, a colossal Big Ten Championship this weekend featuring the top two teams in the country, Caleb acknowledged that Indiana is well-coached and efficient, specifically praising quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
"Our coaches told us the other day that it's 1v2 in defense, 1v2 in the Heisman race, 1v2 in the nation," he said.
"You can tell they're well-coached. Their coach has some iconic catchphrases. Mendoza is playing at a really high level. He's done a great job of running that offense – they're really efficient. Their receivers do a good job of getting open and their running backs run hard. They have a good scheme up front, so I give them credit for that."
Eleven Warriors Fan Question of the Week
Eleven Warriors member Dashoe had the honors with this week's fan question, asking the guys what they've learned from each other growing up that still shows up on the field or in life.
"I feel like I learned from Josh the ability to have a chip on your shoulder," Caleb said. "All throughout middle school and high school, he was never the biggest player. It didn't matter. He went out and played and put himself in the best position and you could see the intensity he played with and I always admired that. So I try to play with that intensity as much as I can."
Josh pointed to Caleb's discipline.
"It's a big thing in a man's life is discipline and I'd say Caleb's discipline is second to none. I feel like that's something to admire. That's something really cool and something to be an example."
Gary Downs on Watching the Game from the Stands
Later on in the show, Gary Downs, father of Caleb and Josh, and a former NFL running back, shared what it was like cheering Caleb on in Ann Arbor.
"First of all, it was freezing," he said. "When the game started and you guys started out flat and Michigan busted that big run and Julian threw that pick, I was like, 'Not again! Not again!' Then you guys righted that ship and sure enough in that second half, you broke their will.
"I think Carnell's touchdown and then that double-move by Jeremiah, they were done."
You can catch the full episode on Downs 2 Business on YouTube.
