The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is heating up off the field, too.
During a Big Ten coaches conference call on Monday, Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh accused Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day of breaking on-field instruction rules, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN.
Harbaugh questioned Day about a photo that apparently shows Ohio State assistant Al Washington working with Buckeyes linebackers, Schlabach adds. Under NCAA rules, on-field instruction isn't permitted until Friday.
"How about I worry about my team and you worry about yours?" Day told Harbaugh, according to Bucknuts.com, via Schlabach.
After the call, Day reportedly told his players the Wolverines will need a mercy rule because the Buckeyes are "going to hang 100 on them."
Day declined to comment about the reported exchange during his media availability on Thursday.
#OhioState HC Ryan Day asked about report re: interaction w/ #Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh on a conf call in which report quoted Day as saying Big 10 needs a mercy rule b/c they're going hang 100 on them:
ā Keith Britton (@KeithBritton86) August 6, 2020
"Nah, I appreciate the question, but I'd rather not answer that right now."
In Day's first full campaign leading Ohio State in 2019, the Buckeyes went 13-1 and 9-0 in the conference.
The Buckeyes have won eight straight games against their rivals, including five since Harbaugh took over the Wolverines in 2015, and a 56-27 victory last year.
The two teams are set to face off in Columbus on Oct. 24.