What did Ohio State spend an extra $213,000 on just to beat Michigan?

Hello there! We have a slight change of plans today, but I’m confident you won’t mind one bit. 

Before I explain, I want to flag that Phantom Island is hiring for two contractor roles.

If you are looking to work in social media or podcast production, I can’t think of a better place to do it. Ryan and Steven are both kindhearted geniuses, and I love whenever we get to collaborate. They’re building something great, so go be a part of it.

Okay. Last week, I promised that today’s paywalled column would be Part Two of our dive into the mega-boosters on the sidelines at Texas football games. 

I was so excited. Not only is it a great story, I was eager to see if a two-part series would be a good way to drive paid upgrades. But that’s not happening anymore :(.

Instead, the piece is coming on Friday. And you’re gonna get to read it for free! Why? You’ll just have to wait and find out. But since we’ve changed our routine (this means no Thursday email), let's talk about routines. And how much it cost a school to keep theirs. 

One of the true joys of college football is that its deranged fan bases are never satisfied. Alabama went to nine national title games under Nick Saban, winning six. In just his second season replacing that legend, Kalen DeBoer took the Crimson Tide to the SEC championship game. And half the state still wants him gone. 

He did lose to FSU, so I get it. 

In 2024, Penn State lost in the semifinals on a last-second field goal. James Franklin coached just six more games, unceremoniously canned for a three–game losing streak where the Nittany Lions lost by twelve total points. 

But nothing, in my opinion, compares to Ohio State. Last year, the school won its first national title in ten years. It was the culmination of an impressive stretch, the fourth time in six seasons Ryan Day took the Buckeyes to the playoffs.

Since taking over for Urban Meyer, Day had gone 67-10. And yet, at the start of the 2025 season, coming off a literal championship, some pundits were openly asking if the Buckeyes might fire him. 

I don’t even have to explain why. This sport rules so hard!

Day knew it, too, revealing the Buckeyes were explicitly changing things up that year. 

It worked. But it left me with a question. How much did Ohio State spend just so it could beat its biggest rival?

For the uninitiated few, Day faced heat because, after winning his inaugural game against Michigan, the Wolverines took the next four. 

His only victory came in that first season. It was the last in an incredible two-decade stretch, where the Buckeyes went 17-2. The next game, known as, sigh, The Game, was cancelled due to COVID. In 2021, Ohio State lost at the Big House, 42-27. The following season, they fell at home by a similar margin.

Their defeat in 2023 was particularly brutal. Both teams were 11-0. Ohio State sat at No. 2 in the CFP rankings. Michigan was just one spot below. 

Either team would be a lock to make the playoff with a win. And Michigan was without head coach Jim Harbaugh, thanks to a Connor Stallions sign-stealing scandal suspension. 

Led by interim coach Sherrone Moore (👀), the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes. Three games later, they were national champions. 

The Buckeyes’ 2024 loss marked the first time since 1993 that Michigan won four in a row. Sure, Ohio State rallied to win it all, but that trophy can’t stop Michigan fans from gloating. 

It was enough of a narrative for the media to run with. In August, CBS wrote a story headlined, “Ryan Day's Michigan problem: Why national title only adds pressure on Buckeyes coach to snap losing skid.”

The New York Times said that, “Day reaching the mountaintop doesn’t mean the questions are going to stop.” 

Absolutely, utterly stupid. And delightful. Especially when you find out what I’m about to tell you.