If you end up the top coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, you’ve two expectations: Beat Michigan and win a nationwide championship.
That can also be most likely the order of precedence.
Attributable to his constant lack of ability to do the previous, present Ohio State head coach Ryan Day may must do the latter this season to save lots of himself and his job with this system. Or at the very least save his fame and standing with the more and more demanding fan base and program boosters.
With Saturday’s beautiful 13-10 loss to Michigan, Day’s Buckeyes have now misplaced 4 consecutive video games to Michigan. It’s the first four-game dropping streak towards the Wolverines because the 1988-91 seasons.
This most up-to-date one might need been the worst and most damaging of all of them, not just for the season but additionally doubtlessly for Day himself.
Ohio State entered the sport because the No. 2 staff within the nation and was a three-touchdown favourite towards a Michigan staff struggling by way of a down, rebuilding 12 months. Not solely that, it was at house with an opportunity to clinch a spot within the Huge 10 Championship sport and put the Buckeyes able to doubtlessly earn a bye week by way of to the quarterfinals of the School Soccer Playoff. Even when the Buckeyes didn’t win the Huge 10 championship sport and get the bye, it might have at the very least been a lock for a house playoff sport.
Now, all of that’s up within the air.
Ohio State wants a Penn State loss to Maryland to get again into the Huge 10 title sport, and assuming that doesn’t occur, there isn’t any telling how far down the rankings or seedings Ohio State may fall within the eyes of the playoff committee for dropping at house as a three-touchdown favourite.
All of that simply makes Ohio State’s potential path to a championship that rather more troublesome. In the event that they lose within the playoffs — and particularly early — it’ll be awfully troublesome for Day to return again to Ohio State, given the expectations.
That could be an outrageous factor to say a few head coach who has by no means misplaced greater than two video games in a season and is 66-10 general, however that isn’t what Ohio State is searching for.
Ohio State is searching for nationwide dominance.
It’s searching for rivalry dominance over Michigan.
It spent greater than $20 million in NIL cash this season to attempt to get each of these issues.
Day has already didn’t ship on certainly one of them (once more).
If he fails with the opposite, there won’t be a lot urge for food to maintain attempting with him.
Given the recruiting base and expertise that Ohio State has yearly, it won’t be troublesome to discover a coach that may hold beating Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and the remainder of the Huge 10.
It wants — and calls for — someone who’s going to beat Michigan and produce championships. Day has not likely accomplished both. He could be operating out of alternatives.
