CBS analyst issues program-destabilizing warning for college football title contender

Ohio State is one of the favorites to win the 2024 college football national title. The Buckeyes are the betting line favorite, in most sports books, to win the Big Ten and are behind only Georgia to win the national title. But CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate says one thing could derail OSU and destabilize the entire program.

In the 21st Century, Ohio State has dominated rival Michigan. The Buckeyes are 17-6 against Big Blue since 2000, with winning streaks of 7 in a row from ‘04 to ‘10 and eight in a row from ‘12 to ‘19.

But the last three seasons, under Jim Harbaugh, Michigan has turned the tide. Last season, the Wolverines beat OSU en route to the national title, making it three in a row over their bitter rivals.

This season, on paper, the Buckeyes look stronger. Michigan lost Harbaugh and some key personnel on offense.

But what if Michigan wins its 4th straight “Big Game” in a row? CBS Sports/247 analyst Josh Pate issues an ominous warning, "If they lose four in a row (to Michigan), for Ohio State it would be a pretty unprecedented conversation happening around Ryan Day.”

Pate said on his “Late Kick” podcast, “There would be logic. And there would be applying it to an illogical situation. And if Ohio State loses to Michigan, I don’t care what they did elsewhere in the season, it will be an illogical conversation for Ryan Day from that point out.”

Pate maintains even if Ohio State wins all of the rest of their games, the questions about Ryan Day would still persist.

“Ohio State could go 11-0 into that game and they lose it,” Pate continues.  “They may still be in the conference title game, if they lose it. They’re absolutely going to be in the playoff even if they lose it. But yet there’s this hole in the spot where your heart and soul is supposed to be in your chest and that game means so much, I’m not sure winning the rest of your games fills it.”