The Michigan football team won the national championship last season, but a lot of their rival fans try not to give them credit for it because of their sign-stealing scandal. The Wolverines are under investigation for illegal sign-stealing, and news of the ordeal dropped about halfway through last season. After teams became aware of the scandal and knew to be more careful with their signs, Michigan rattled off eight straight wins en route to the national championship victory. Five of those wins were against ranked teams, and four of them were against top-10 teams. One was against the Ohio State football team, and some Buckeyes aren't giving the Wolverines credit for their success.

One fan base that has trouble giving credit to the Michigan football team for their national championship is Ohio State. The Buckeyes were well aware of the sign-stealing scandal when they went into their game with the Wolverines in the Big House, but they still lost the game. Michigan did not have their head coach, Jim Harbaugh, for that game as well. No coach, no problem. The Wolverines took down the second-ranked Buckeyes for the third straight year and advanced to the Big Ten Championship game.

Every team that Michigan played during the back half of the season was aware of the scandal and had the chance to change their signs, but there are still some people that think there should be an asterisk on the Wolverines' national title. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is one of them.

“Of course I do,” Smith said during an appearance on the All Sides with Anna Staver show. “The rules are in place to protect the integrity of the game and try your best to create a level playing field. When those rules are violated, then it affects those principles. We have to keep that in perspective.”

Ohio State needs a win over rival Michigan this year

University of Michigan defensive back Rod Moore (9) intercepts a pass intended for Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during the second half of Saturday's NCAA Division I football game at Michigan Stadium.
© Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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A lot of Ohio State football fans, and their AD, don't fully give credit to the Wolverines for winning the national title, and they are very upset about how the past three years have gone in terms of the rivalry regardless. Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day took over for Urban Meyer and inherited a gold mine, but he has let the rivalry slip away as he has won just one game against Michigan, and it came back in 2019.

This upcoming season is a big one for Ryan Day. Ohio State fans aren't happy that the Buckeyes have lost three in a row to Michigan, and Day has been criticized by some people in the fan base.

Ohio State is bringing back a ton of talent from last year's team and they also have one of the best transfer portal classes in the country. Michigan on the other hand has lost a ton in terms of both coaches and players from their national title team. Their coaching staff is almost entirely new, and the players on the field will be almost entirely new as well. Ohio State will have the Wolverines at home next year, and if Day can't get it done with all of those things in his favor, Buckeyes fans aren't going to be happy at all.

Next year's game in this rivalry is going to be huge, and if Day wants to keep his job, he needs to get a win.