Chris Wilds
Ryan Day began this season with lofty expectations. The Buckeyes entered the season with a loaded roster. They added UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, a trusted mentor of Day, to come in and run the offense. They had a favorable schedule, the only major challenges coming on the road at Oregon and Penn State, and they were getting their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, weakened following their championship run last season, at home in Columbus. Everything was set up for a championship run for the Buckeyes.
Day needed to realize this season’s potential. He entered the season with three consecutive losses to Michigan. He was coming off a brutal loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. His record versus the top five teams was an abysmal 2-5. He had not captured a Big Ten title in three years, and had yet to bring home a national championship, something Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer both had done within their first three seasons. The narrative on Day was quickly becoming that he could not win the big games, and he was not the man to lead the Buckeyes.
The season began as scripted. Five convincing victories, including two conference wins, had the Buckeye faithful sensing Ryan Day was finally going to realize his potential. The team next traveled to Eugene, Oregon. The Buckeyes played well, but a few key injuries led to the team tightening up and altering its game plan. They became conservative. The Buckeyes made a couple of critical mistakes – penalties, lapses in coverage, mishandling an onside kick, and questionable clock management led to a one-point loss to the Ducks. Day’s big game ability was once again brought into question.
The five games following the loss, the Buckeyes, especially defensively, looked like a different team. Much more aggressive. More physical. Despite the challenge of replacing to All-American caliber starters on the offensive line, the Buckeyes won five consecutive games with wins over both Penn State and Indiana each who were ranked in the top five at the time of their matchups. Ryan Day was beginning to win back the fans who now had confidence in his ability to win those big games as he was now 3-6 versus the top five. Heading into rivalry week, it was expected the Buckeyes would dominate Michigan and coast into the Big Ten championship game checking two more important boxes for Coach Day.
Ohio State entered THE Game a heavy favorite. This was a weakened squad. Despite winning the national championship last season, the team lost a lot. Several players and coaches moved on to the NFL. The team’s best offensive player, Colston Loveland, and best defensive player, Will Johnson decided to sit out THE Game this season. The Wolverines had a questionable quarterback situation, and first year head coach Sherrone Moore was seriously outmatched by this Buckeye team. Yet, the unthinkable happened. Michigan got Ryan Day to try to play their brand of football. They dragged out the game turning into a defensive struggle and shortened the game with a punishing rushing attack. The normally aggressive Buckeyes played an ultra-conservative game and fell to Michigan. Ohio State (10-2) failed to reach the Big Ten title game and now sat fourth in the Big Ten behind Oregon (12-0), Penn State (11-1), and Indiana (11-1). The defeat on the field, however, was not the end of the day. Michigan, to humiliate their defeated rival, tried to plant their flag at midfield. An action to which several Buckeyes including Jack Sawyer took exception. Sawyer ripped away the flag and a fight ensued between the two teams.
Ryan Day was now 1-4 versus Michigan, something Ohio State fans deemed unacceptable. Many fans wanted Day removed immediately from his post as the head man of the Buckeyes. Despite having one of the highest winning percentages in college football history, fans had enough of the big game losses. The team had a player only meeting as many of them needed clarity concerning what happened this season. As the Buckeyes awaited the announcement of the twelve teams entering the playoffs, several of the Buckeye faithful had lost their faith in Day’s ability to right the ship.
The Buckeyes made the playoffs and even hosted a first-round matchup in Columbus. However, questions lingered about this team, something apparent from the large contingent of Tennessee fans who were able to obtain tickets to the first playoff game ever in Ohio Stadium. A stadium that is always packed with Buckeye fans saw a near 50/50 split of fans with the visitors. However, what those fans saw, and what we saw at home was not what we expected. A highly touted Tennessee team was completely dismantled by Ohio State. The Buckeyes exploded offensively, cracked heads (quite literally) on defense in a 42-17 romp over the third best team from the SEC to move on to a Rose Bowl rematch with the Oregon Ducks.
The Buckeyes entered this game having already lost a one-point game to the Ducks in Eugene. But this was a neutral field game, and if the first-round game versus the Vols was any indication, this was not the same Ohio State team. The Buckeyes jumped out early offensively, and the Ducks were decimated 34-8 at the half. Though Ohio State took their foot off the gas in the second half, they still won 41-21 with a display of both offense prowess and defensive dominance. The Buckeyes were moving on to the Cotton Bowl to face Texas.
The Texas Longhorns were the best team in the SEC during the regular season and finished second in the conference. They featured a potent offense, and a defensive secondary that could challenge and present issues to the Buckeyes talented receivers. Ohio State drew first blood, but Texas was not going down without a fight tying the game late in the second quarter. However, in what many deemed an unexpected and aggressive move for the Buckeyes, instead of just taking a knee to end the half, the Buckeyes threw a screen pass that led to a go ahead score before halftime. Texas tied it up in the third, but the Buckeyes took the lead back in the fourth quarter. Texas was driving late in the fourth quarter, when the Buckeyes made one of the biggest defensive stands in team history. Texas had the ball first and goal inside the five-yard line, and the Buckeyes stuffed the first run at the one. Texas then tried to run to the outside, a play which was quickly sniffed out by the defense and cost the Longhorns yards. An incomplete pass would follow before one of the greatest plays in team history. As Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers dropped back to pass, defensive end Jack Sawyer hit Ewers, knocking the ball loose of a strip-sack followed by the scoop and score. The Buckeyes beat Texas in Texas to advance to the national championship game to face Notre Dame.
Day was on the verge of greatness. His last trip to the national championship following the 2020 season did not end well. He had lost to his bitter rival for the fourth consecutive time this season. However, he and his Buckeyes were amid the greatest run in the history of college football. All that stood in his way was former Buckeye Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The Irish came out in dominant fashion establishing their brand of football with a long drive eating up ten minutes and ending with a touchdown. However, the Buckeyes owned the second quarter establish their offensive game plan and playing stifling defense as they scored 21 unanswered points. Notre Dame fought and clawed, but the Buckeyes proved to be too much for the Irish to overcome. Ohio State won the game 34-23 and Ryan Day secured his first national championship.
This season was one of turbulence, turmoil, and triumph for Ryan Day. He faced critical injuries, criticism from the media, lost the faith of many fans, and many wondered what happened to this season of promise. But something happened to this team, and this coach along the way. They learned how to win in the face of adversity. Yes, they lost to Michigan again, but that was the catalyst. Ryan Day, the guy who could not win the big games certainly changed the narrative on his career following the losses to Michigan and Oregon. This season, Ryan Day went 5-1 versus top 5 teams, improving his record to 7-6 versus the top five teams. He is 16-8 versus top ten teams. Most importantly, he has climbed the national championship mountain and planted his flag on top. Yes, he still needs to find a way to improve his record versus Michigan, but no one can deny, he has changed the narrative on his career and now is among the best coaches in the nation as well as in Ohio State history.
