Ryan Day Still Focused on Beating Michigan Despite Reduced Pressure at Ohio State

When Ryan Day was speaking at his initial news conference after taking over as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes from Urban Meyer, he said that his family was aware of the expectations that come along with this position. It is one of these expectations that we will triumph over The Team Up North.

It is unfortunate that Day has not been able to lead the Buckeyes to victories against the Maize and Blue with the majority of the time. Day has not yet led the Buckeyes to a victory over Michigan at home, despite the fact that Ohio State earned a victory in Ann Arbor the previous year.

What would happen if Ohio State were to lose to Michigan at home… once more? Can you even fathom the possibility? To this point, it has occurred twice. This indicates that Day is still carrying a significant burden on his shoulders and that there is still a proverbial monkey on his back. Every year, there is an anticipation that Michigan will be defeated, and this expectation is especially strong in years when The Game is brought to The Shoe.

At this point, I believe that we have reached the stage where Day is no longer coaching for his job when the Buckeyes play host to the Wolverines during this season. Both the expansion of the College Football Playoff and the winning of a national championship (which came after a defeat to a rivalry, no less) have altered the expectations that are placed on the last game of the regular season and the significance of the game. Whatever the case may be, this competition will never cease to be a significant issue in Columbus.

Throughout the course of history, and particularly in this century, the Buckeyes have been Michigan’s larger, more powerful, and more aggressive sibling. However, after taking over as head coach, Day was responsible for four consecutive defeats at the hands of Michigan. This occurred when Day’s squad won the first year of the season, and then Jim Harbaugh faked a COVID on his team in order to avoid playing in the second year. In the eyes of Ohio State supporters, this is an unacceptable situation, particularly considering the benchmark that Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer have established in terms of defeating The Team Up North.

To some Buckeye supporters, defeating Michigan might feel like a matter of life and death; for them, it is more important than winning the National Championship. This is true regardless of whether you believe it to be sane or not. Does that make sense? Not likely at all. To be fair, this is Ohio State. This is not the same.

In the end, there is a reason why it is referred to as “The Game.”

Because of this, the result of this year’s edition of “The Game” might potentially have significant repercussions for Day’s future employment in Columbus. If Ohio State is victorious, the entire Buckeye Nation will remain invested in the Day Train. This is especially true if the victory comes at the conclusion of a successful regular season against a formidable schedule that includes games against Texas, Indiana, and Oregon. In the event that Day is defeated, however, he will have a record of 2-5 against Ohio State’s adversary, which is not a good place to be.

At home, the Buckeyes have not been victorious over Michigan since the year 2018. Eight years is that amount. Despite the fact that there have only been two games played between the two teams in The Shoe, in the end, they have both been defeated. To add insult to injury, the Buckeyes played poorly in both of their games that took place on their home turf.

In the event that Ohio State suffers a defeat at the hands of Michigan during the current season, there will surely be supporters who will demand that he be fired. This is true regardless of whether or not the Buckeyes go on to win another national championship.

While it is possible that it is inappropriate to attribute everything about a head coach to a single opponent, the fact remains that Ohio State is concerned. There is a distinction. Ryan Day is aware of that. Now, it would take a lot more than just losing to Michigan for Ross Bjork to fire Day; instead, it would take scandals of epic proportions. However, this does not mean that the outcome of the regular season finale will not have an effect on his position as the head coach of his club.

Not only could another loss to Michigan affect Ohio State’s chances of making the playoffs, but it could also affect the feeling of the fans against the head coach, recruiting possibilities, and a great deal more. I believe that Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes should just go out and defeat Michigan on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so that we don’t have to deal with any of this. This would be really beneficial for all of us.