A Significant issue has dismiss today and Ohio State Buckeyes face a serious problem, why now?

admin | December 4, 2023 | Ohio State Buckeyes | No Comments

It’s evident from another Ohio State rivalry defeat that Ryan Day is unable to overcome his Michigan issues.

ANN ARBOR, Michigan: Ryan Day’s expression when he sat down for his postgame news conference was one of obvious disappointment.

With his team down 30–24 against Michigan, the Ohio State coach found himself in an all too familiar position as he had to address the media. This year, however, was different in that Saturday’s game seemed to be essential to Day’s legacy as well as his own.

There is no denying Day’s extraordinary success as a coach. During his time at Ohio State, he is 56-7, has won two Big Ten titles, and has never finished outside of the AP top six. But defeating Michigan is the most important thing.

Day is from Saturday to Sunday. And this rivalry game wasn’t like any other.

With two 11-0 teams ranked in the top three, Saturday’s game was among the biggest in Ohio State and Michigan history. It transcends the drama surrounding the stolen signs and Jim Harbaugh’s suspension. This Saturday’s game between Michigan and Ohio State was the final one to decide who would win the Big Ten East, which would determine which team would advance to the College Football Playoffs and who would truly control the conference before it expands in 2024.

Day had the opportunity to change any unfavorable perception of him. However, he was unable to defeat Michigan, so all of a sudden, it will be difficult to draw comparisons to John Cooper.

Day was questioned on Tuesday about when he started to realize the true nature of the rivalry.

“Every year you learn more and more,” stated Day, who took over as head coach at Ohio State in 2019 after initially joining the team as an assistant in 2017. “I’m going to play The Game for the sixth time. While you’re here, you pick things up quickly, but every year you learn more and it makes a big difference in your life. Win the game is the only reason you come here, whether you are a player or a coach. I suppose you learn more and more about that with each passing year.

It cannot be argued that Day lacks comprehension of the significance of The Game. It’s just not his day.

He stated that running the ball and creating a large turnover margin are the two strategies needed to defeat Michigan on Saturday. Both were losses for Ohio State. It was outgained 156 yards to 107 on the ground and had a turnover margin of minus two.

Ryan Day can't beat Michigan. Is that enough for Ohio State to fire him? - SBNation.com

Day made adjustments following the 2021 campaign, primarily as a result of the Buckeyes’ first defeat by Michigan in ten years. He brought in coach Justin Frye because the offensive line wasn’t performing well enough in crucial games. Jim Knowles, the new defensive coordinator, was brought in after the defense gave up 297 yards of rushing and 42 points. In 2022, the outcomes remained the same with 45 points and 252 yards of rushing.

This season, Ohio State’s defense has been among the best in the nation, and it succeeded in keeping the Wolverines’ ground total to under 200 yards. However, Michigan ran the ball straight at Ohio State when it needed yards and to kill time. On its last play, Michigan ran for 42 yards and converted two third-down attempts to set up a field goal, eating up seven minutes from the clock. Once more, that was the team with the most physicality.

Knowles claimed that the performance lacked quality.

“You have to win this game in the end, and I think we were a play short, so that’s something I need to work on,” Knowles remarked.

Although the offensive line let up pressure on quarterback Kyle McCord, Ohio State still had a chance to win. While he was throwing to an open Marvin Harrison Jr., he was struck.The ball was intercepted and never made it to where it was supposed to.

It’s troubling enough that Ohio State has dropped its last three games against Michigan. A bigger problem, though, is losing three straight for essentially the same reasons. It’s also one that requires time to resolve.

Yes, Michigan has a large senior class (14 of whom started on Saturday), which could give the Buckeyes an advantage in the upcoming campaign. However, there is also a problem with hiring. The Buckeyes are still failing to attract top offensive line prospects. Additionally, the defensive line missed the previous cycle despite having two five-star prospects.

Day’s play calling has also been a mystery, possibly more so than any roster conflicts. The most perplexing call of the day occurred shortly before halftime on Saturday when he chose to try a 52-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining.Jayden Fielding has 47 years in the game. He failed to hit.

Day wanted to kick then rather than running a play, attempting to convert on fourth-and-2, or going for a more manageable field goal. Even if it hadn’t been the end of the half, he said he would have still done it.

Day declared, “I would have kicked the field goal.” “All I wanted was for the clock to run out so we could end the half.”

However, there is a distinction between the two programs. Michigan was a dismal 3-of-12 on third down, but three of its four fourth down attempts were successful. Blake Corum scored the first touchdown on a 1-yard run. Two more were scored during a 14-play touchdown drive.

It is expected that the home team will call more conservative plays, but Day was the one who did so.

Day stated, “You feel great if you make it; if not, you don’t.” “We’ll scrutinize every detail. You receive nothing if you fail to convert on fourth-and-3.

But when a team has a kicker with a track record of accuracy from that depth, they do something called kick there. Taking a chance on a special teams team that has struggled this season was what Ohio State was doing.

Kyle McCord showed Saturday why he deserves to be QB1 - Land-Grant Holy Land

There may be a lengthy discussion regarding play calling at the end of the day. In actuality, Ohio State, under Day’s leadership, has given its fierce rival total control of the Big Ten. Despite being one of the top teams in the nation, the Buckeyes were unable to muster a convincing performance against Michigan. Once more.

“What’s the excuse now?” two Michigan supporters questioned Ohio State supporters as they were leaving the stadium in a joyful mood.

To be honest, there isn’t one. Day needs to figure out how to make this right because Michigan just defeated Ohio State. If he doesn’t, his legacy will be Cooper 2.0—a very successful coach who was unable to win the most important game on the schedule. That is unacceptable to many.

What next steps does Ohio State take? After the game, Day was at a loss for words.

“It’s difficult to start thinking about all of that right after the game,” Day remarked. “At this point, you’re just attempting to comprehend the game and move on.”

Currently, it makes no difference if Ohio State manages to sneak into the College Football Playoffs for a second straight season.