COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s a picture that may stay in Ohio State lore for a few years to come back: Head coach Ryan Day, minutes after his No. 2 Buckeyes misplaced, inexplicably, to unranked Michigan 13-10, in a daze as gamers from each groups fought at midfield. He requested a participant returning to the sideline, “What occurred?”
It’s a big-picture query that may stay in lore, too. Day is 66-10 and has had 4 top-five finishes within the coaches ballot in 5 seasons as Ohio State’s full-time head coach. Ohio State is one among three groups to complete within the AP high 10 every of the previous 5 years, together with Alabama and Georgia. The Buckeyes have the second-best win share since 2019, behind Georgia. Day has put his group within the School Soccer Playoff thrice since 2019; he’s made a New 12 months’s Six bowl his different seasons, and that streak will proceed this 12 months. It’s a really outstanding report.
Additionally, Ryan Day, your complete group is within the midst of a brawl, and also you’re on the sideline asking “what occurred?” Huh!?
Get your butt on the sector and command your gamers go to the locker room.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) November 30, 2024
However Day is 1-4 in opposition to Michigan and the loser of 4 in a row in The Recreation. And at this second, it looks like the one ones who truly need him remaining in Columbus are Michigan followers.
Shedding to Michigan a number of occasions? “It’s one of many worst issues that’s ever occurred to me in my life, fairly truthfully, aside from dropping my father and some different issues,” Day stated earlier within the week throughout his coach’s present, earlier than Saturday’s loss. “And for my household, (it’s) the worst factor that’s occurred. So, we are able to by no means have that occur once more. Ever.”
And on Saturday, it wasn’t simply dropping that stung (Day’s first loss to an unranked group). It was the worst Michigan group the Buckeyes had confronted in additional than a decade. It was a Wolverines group with a clumsy offense, and with out its greatest gamers: tight finish Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson.
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The Buckeyes’ 10 factors had been their lowest output of the season. Their two elite tailbacks had been unable to run the ball. Their particular groups melted down. Their quarterback, Will Howard, threw two interceptions; quarterback play has been Day’s specialty and was what introduced him to Columbus on City Meyer’s employees. Michigan, once more, was the more durable group.
After which the damning postgame brawl erupted. Michigan gamers actually needed to plant the Wolverines flag in the midst of The Shoe. Punches had been thrown. Police acquired concerned, pepper spraying these in and across the melee. And there was Day, frozen, as a substitute of aggressively attempting to settle issues along with his gamers. It was a horrible have a look at the tip of a nightmarish day for the Buckeyes and particularly Day.
It’s inconceivable to really know simply what Day and his household have been coping with, being on the mistaken aspect of this rivalry and immediately in the midst of it, suffocated by it.
Although Day appears to be having extra enjoyable behind the scenes this 12 months than beforehand, folks near Day have talked privately about how emotionally arduous this had been for his spouse and younger kids. Coaches and their households typically get the worst of being linked to proud packages with extremely passionate fan bases. From what I’ve heard, that is all of that, occasions one million. And that was earlier than Saturday’s catastrophe in opposition to Michigan — probably the most stunning consequence of a school soccer season of stunners.
Day, after all, is being compensated very properly. He makes greater than $10 million a 12 months. Many, I’m positive, would like to have his issues. The Buckeyes have higher sources than anybody within the sport; SEC blue bloods are in the identical ballpark, however these half-dozen heavyweights are all jostling with one another. Within the Huge Ten, the Buckeyes stand alone. Michigan, Penn State and Oregon will not be dedicated to soccer on the degree Ohio State is. This 12 months, after seeing how the Wolverines had surpassed Ohio State on the sector beneath Jim Harbaugh, the Buckeyes pumped $20 million into the 2024 roster.
However in opposition to Michigan — a group that misplaced virtually its total offense and its defensive leaders, to not point out Harbaugh himself — Day’s group nonetheless couldn’t get the job carried out.
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The Buckeyes’ season is much from over, although they are going to be at residence watching the Huge Ten Championship Recreation subsequent Saturday quite than taking part in in it. Ohio State will make the Playoff, on condition that the Buckeyes beat top-five Penn State in Completely satisfied Valley and blew out top-10 Indiana. That is nonetheless a particularly proficient group.
Day is a very good coach, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the Buckeyes ended up profitable the nationwide title. (That is after believing that they might win all of it this 12 months; I’m skeptical now.) Two years in the past, Ohio State additionally had a crushing defeat in opposition to Michigan in Columbus. But it surely then virtually beat Georgia within the Playoff, coming inside a last-second area aim, which then would have set Ohio State up in opposition to an undermanned TCU group within the title sport.
However this group feels a lot heavier. Extra intestine punches by the hands of the Wolverines. Extra of the Buckeyes twisting themselves in knots. Caught in a thoughts sport they’ll’t appear to get out of. And in the event that they don’t win the title this 12 months, that seemingly excruciating strain on Day will solely get extra suffocating.
Many are questioning if Ohio State would fireplace Day if the Buckeyes don’t win the title this 12 months. Outstanding alumni are loud in regards to the Michigan losses and Ohio State employed a brand new athletic director this 12 months. Day has a buyout of $38 million. Although Ohio State might work out that sum, wouldn’t it be justifiable simply because he misplaced to Michigan once more?
Transferring on from Day would current its personal challenges. Look across the sport and also you’ll see loads of massive packages whose “residence run” hires have fizzled out. Perhaps Buckeyes nice Mike Vrabel could possibly be the reply. However would he need to grow to be a school coach on this period of the game? And if not him, then who?
A greater query to me is that this: If Day can’t rally the Buckeyes within the Playoff, does he nonetheless actually need this job? Is it price it to him and his younger household now, given how scorching the temperature is in Columbus?
At this level, it positive appears to be like prefer it isn’t.
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(Picture: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Pictures)
