Eric Boggs
The college football offseason may be winding down, but that hasn’t stopped media outlets from filling the void with rankings, speculation, and in this case—villain assignments. ESPN recently published a piece naming the “archvillain” for every team in its preseason top 25, and unsurprisingly, the Buckeyes’ nemesis comes from up north.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg pegged Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore as Ohio State’s current archvillain, and while it’s a frustrating nod from a Buckeye fan’s perspective, it’s also hard to argue. Moore doesn’t carry the same dramatic flair or media-fueled arrogance as his predecessor Jim Harbaugh, but what he does carry is a growing resume of success against Ohio State—one that has already made him a legitimate thorn in the Buckeyes’ side.
As Rittenberg points out, Moore’s rise through the Wolverines’ coaching ranks—from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator to head coach—has coincided with Ohio State’s most frustrating stretch in The Game since the early 1990s. He stepped in as acting head coach during Harbaugh’s suspension last season and led Michigan to yet another Big Ten Championship berth, before earning the permanent job and pulling off a shocking win in Columbus—one of the more stunning upsets in the rivalry’s long, intense history.
From a scarlet and gray perspective, the label stings, but it also reflects reality. Moore’s ascent has paralleled a rare losing streak in The Game, one that now stands at four straight. That alone is enough to put him in the villain role for Buckeye Nation, regardless of whether he wears it as brazenly as Harbaugh did.
Interestingly, ESPN also named Ohio State head coach Ryan Day as Penn State’s archvillain, a nod to his dominance over James Franklin and the Nittany Lions. That designation feels appropriate, considering Day’s unbeaten record against Penn State and the fact that his Buckeyes have repeatedly dashed their conference title hopes.
So while it may be easy to roll your eyes at ESPN’s offseason content, it’s hard to deny the truth embedded in these choices. Sherrone Moore has earned his place as Ohio State’s newest villain—not by talking, but by winning. Now it’s on Ryan Day and the Buckeyes to change the narrative in 2025 and reclaim control of the rivalry that matters most.
