Before the melee, the pepper spray and the vicious booing that punctuated a rivalry that has gone too far, there were sideline tears. There were two minutes left between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines—still faint but fading hope that the home team could find a way to win the game that has haunted them. The pain of the moment had already overwhelmed Ryan Day’s family.
Tears streamed down his teenage daughters’ frozen cheeks on the Ohio State sideline. The score was tied, but the end was near. Michigan thudded the ball into the middle of the line of scrimmage over and over, killing time before sending out the field goal unit. Dominic Zvada knocked in a chip shot for a 13–10 lead, the Buckeyes’ final possession was four plays of futility and when it was over, there was no holding back the sadness. Sobs ensued.
