It was like seeing a ghost.
As police pepper sprayed both Michigan and Mt. ohio After flags were planted on the field and a postgame melee ensued, all Ryan Day could do was… just stand there.
As the melee between Michigan and Ohio State continued, Ryan Day watched as two Buckeyes and a Wolverine huddled together in prayer. pic.twitter.com/Bz3DwV6Ua8
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) December 1, 2024
Rather, Day's oblivious look at the chaos unfolding around him was a reflection of who he is as Ohio State's head coach. Let's leave out the obvious. Yes, Day has a 66-10 record as the head coach at Ohio State. Yes, he sent a lot of guys to the NFL. They're still going to be in the College Football Playoff and have a chance to win it. But it's past time for Ohio State to admit that it has a Ryan Day problem that is holding it back.
The University of Michigan has beaten the Buckeyes the past four years, but this year might be the worst matchup between the two. Ohio State has the most expensive (and talented) roster in college football. They had a 20.5 man advantage going into the game! The Wolverines averaged 22.3 points per game, but don't let those numbers fool you. Michigan has been anemic offensively all season, and played this game without its best offensive player, tight end Colston Loveland. Another star, cornerback Will Johnson, also missed the game with an injury. With the best receiving corps in the country and a strong offensive line, turning this game into an aerial fireworks game against Michigan seems like the most likely scenario, right?
Wrong! For some reason, Day and Ohio State felt they needed to prove they were a more physical team while missing their starting left tackle and center. The results were meager at 77 yards on 26 carries, 3 yards per pop, and only 10 points on the board. I don't know what the University of Michigan has been doing psychologically over the last four years, especially against the Buckeyes and Day, but their game plan against this Michigan team has been terrible in both process and execution, and it's no different than Day and Day. It comes down to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Why did all-world freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith only score two goals in the second half? That's the literal strength of the Wolverines' defense, so why do they keep running up the middle? Is it?
Now we move on to the losing game management part. When Day handed over play-calling duties to Kelly, the goal was for him to take on more of a game management role and focus on key decisions seen throughout the game. If that's true… how do you get an illegal substitution penalty from a timeout? That's indefensible from a coaching standpoint and should be fired.
If you're wondering how Michigan beat Ohio State, it's the same way they've been doing it since the streak started. They won by a close margin, and that's where your attention to detail as a coach is important. Ohio State missed two field goals, but Michigan's Dominic Zvada made every kick, including the game-winning field goal. Michigan's 173 rushing yards at a 4.2-yard clip isn't all that impressive or impressive. they just got sufficient They did something on every play that Ohio State didn't do all game. So we lost again to Michigan, and the opposing QB only threw for 62 yards.
Ohio State is a great team, but they've never had the right tools to get over the hump since Day became head coach. At this point, it's time to put the issue to the head coach. Of course, the Buckeyes aren't going to fire him the day before they make the playoffs. But if this team falls short of a title (which would be above the top in coaching against a team with a similar level of talent), Day should not return as head coach.
