Ryan Day has experienced a considerable amount of success since taking over as Ohio State Buckeyes full-time head coach in 2019.
Day has gone an impressive 56-8 at the helm in Columbus (including a three-game stint to start 2018 when Urban Meyer was on administrative leave), leading Ohio State to a couple of bowl wins and a national championship appearance.
However, outside of a national title, there is one gigantic thing missing from Day’s resume: success against the Michigan Wolverines.
The Buckeyes have gone just 1-3 against Michigan since Day took over and have lost three straight games to the Wolverines. That came after a stretch in which Ohio State reeled off eight consecutive wins over its arch rivals.
As a matter of fact, the Buckeyes have gone 40-0 against all Big Ten opponents not named Michigan under Day’s direction.
The losses to the Wolverines simply aren’t acceptable if you’re Ohio State, and ESPN’s Paul Finebaum ripped into Day for what he perceived to be a lackadaisical attitude toward the rivalry. He even went as far to say that Day “ought to be gone” if the Buckeyes lose to Michigan again in 2024.
Stephen A. Smith added that when you are the head coach of Ohio State, the “No.1 obligation you have” is to beat Michigan, something Day has been unable to do the last three years.
It may seem like a rough assessment given everything else that Day has accomplished in Columbus, but let’s also look at it this way.
The Buckeyes have not won a Big Ten championship since 2020, and they have not won a national championship since 2014.
Ohio State is entering this season with arguably the most talented roster in the country. Meanwhile, Michigan is in rebuilding mode after losing head coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the NFL.
If the Buckeyes aren’t able to beat the Wolverines this time, it could absolutely spell trouble for Day, particularly if the rest of their season does not go according to plan.
Source link : https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/news/ryan-day-called-to-be-fired-if-ohio-state-loses-to-michigan-again-01j3gcd1xm6t
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Publish date : 2024-07-23 14:30:00
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