Ohio State head coach Ryan Day found himself in the crosshairs of criticism after the Buckeyes suffered their fourth consecutive loss to rival Michigan, with former NFL coach Rex Ryan delivering a scathing critique on ESPN’s Get Up.
Ryan, known for his no-holds-barred commentary, lambasted Day for the inexplicable loss to Michigan.
Reflecting on rumors that Day was once considered for an NFL coaching job, Ryan didn’t mince words.
“I’ll say this, these are kids,” Ryan said. “These are kids. Games like this happen? How the heck did Notre Dame get beat by Northern Illinois? And the fact Michigan is a .500 football team? I get it, you’re blown away. But how the heck does this happen?
“The one that I always love is this is the same guy that people wanted to be an NFL head coach? What? You think you get beat by Michigan? Get back in this league, see what the hell happens.”
Despite Day’s 66-10 overall record and a dominant 47-1 mark against Big Ten teams not named Michigan, his inability to win “The Game” in recent years has left many questioning his leadership.
Speaking after the game, Day acknowledged the disappointment but emphasized the shared frustration within the team.
“I mean everybody wants to win this game in the worst way,” Day said. “Nobody wants to win it more than we do. It’s our No. 1 goal every year, and so when you don’t do that there’s disappointment and frustration.
“So I don’t blame anybody for being upset. I’m upset more than anybody. Those players are too, and the coaches, and everybody who goes at it. We know what we’re getting ourselves into here.”
Adding to the scrutiny, former Ohio State cornerback Tyreke Johnson publicly questioned Day’s leadership on social media.
Johnson, who played for the Buckeyes from 2018 to 2020, shared his doubts about Day stemming from the team’s loss to Alabama in the 2020 National Championship game.
“Y’all can say I’m hating or whatever y’all want but. I knew coach Day was not the answer when we played in the national championship against Bama and at half time he didn’t say a word to the team just went in the office and started to blame other coaches,” Johnson posted on X.
Saturday’s showdown was charged with emotion and physicality, culminating in the dramatic 13-10 Michigan victory sealed by a late field goal.
Postgame tensions boiled over when Michigan players attempted to plant their flag at midfield, prompting a scuffle between the teams.
Asked about the chaos, Day defended his players: “Yeah I don’t know all the details of it. But I know that these guys are looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren’t going to let that happen,” he said.
“I’ll find out exactly what happened but this is our field and certainly we’re embarrassed at the fact we lost the game but there’s some prideful guys on our team that weren’t just going to let that happen.”
The loss marked another emotional low for Day, who had previously described losing to Michigan as one of the most painful experiences of his life.
“We’ve gotta have that edge and we will because we know what’s at stake. We’ve felt what it’s like to not win this game and it’s bad,” Day said. “It’s one of the worst things that’s happened to me in my life, quite honestly – other than losing my father and a few other things.
“For my family its the worst thing that’s happened. So we can never have that happen again. Ever.”
Unfortunately for Day, history repeated itself in the cruelest of ways.
Now, he faces the daunting task of rallying his team for a potential run in the College Football Playoff.
As disastrous as the loss to Michigan was, the fact of the matter is Ohio State can still accomplish their ultimate goal of winning the national championship.
As the dust settles, Ohio State must regroup and refocus, but the questions surrounding Ryan Day’s future – and his ability to win the rivalry that matters most – are unlikely to fade anytime soon.
What are your overall thoughts on the situation?
In the big picture, are we sure that Day is the right man to lead to the Buckeyes going forward???
