Stover Seeks To Put Last Season’s Loss To Michigan Behind Him

As Ohio State dropped a top-five battle in The Game last season, falling to rival Michigan 42-27 in a game that wasn’t quite as close as the score would indicate, the Buckeyes are looking to avenge that loss on Saturday.

This season’s edition of The Game carries similar stakes, as the No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 3 Wolverines enter the contest with unblemished 11-0 records while also looking to secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. For Ohio State tight end Cade Stover, The Game also provides the Buckeyes an opportunity to shake the sorrow of last season’s loss.

“We think about it,” Stover said. “Any kind of loss, it hurts you. So when you think about it, it sticks with you and stings. You’re trying to get that taste out of your mouth.”

Stover has become a key cog in the Ohio State offense this season, snagging 31 receptions for 386 yards and five touchdowns. However, Stover has had a whirlwind run at Ohio State as he’s played several positions for the Buckeyes, including linebacker, defensive end, and of course, tight end.

While Stover has bounced around the field during his time at Ohio State, the Mansfield, Ohio, native actually slotted in as a linebacker against the Wolverines last season. As Stover and the Buckeye defense were unable to impact the Michigan running game, as U-M running back Hassan Haskins bowled over the OSU front seven for five touchdowns, then-Wolverines offensive coordinator Josh Gattis called Ohio State’s toughness into question.

However, Stover noted that he only cares about what is said inside the walls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

“To be honest, I really could give a s–t about what anybody else says about our toughness,” Stover said. “I know what we’ve got here and what we’ve got going on with us, and whatever other people say outside of this program doesn’t matter. We know what we’ve got, we know what we pride ourselves on.”

While the Buckeyes do not wish to see a repeat of what happened last season, Stover noted that he and his teammates have put it on themselves to find an answer for the loss in 2021.

“After every loss, you try to find why it happened, the reason why it happened, and what you need to do to fix it,” Stover said. “That’s what we kind of did. We rallied around and found weak points and tried to hone in on that in the offseason.”