Ohio State head coach Ryan Day endured intense criticism over the past few seasons, particularly for losing to Michigan in four consecutive years.
The criticism reached its peak after Michigan defeated the Buckeyes in the regular season finale this past November.
Now, Day and his family are opening up about the toll it took on them and how the coach ultimately silenced his critics with a national championship.
In an interview with The Athletic, Day’s teenage son, R.J., revealed the challenges his family faced after the Michigan loss.
“We had security at our house. School was really bad,” R.J. said. “I didn’t really leave the house much ’til after the Tennessee game. It was rough, but you’ve gotta hang on in those rough times because eventually things will turn back around again.”
The Tennessee game, which took place in the first round of the College Football Playoff, came roughly three weeks after the Michigan defeat.
It marked the beginning of Ohio State’s impressively dominant postseason run that culminated in last night’s national title victory over Notre Dame.
Heading into the season, expectations for the Buckeyes were higher than ever. Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer described the 2024 team as “as good as [he] had ever seen.”
The program was favored to win the Big Ten Championship and appeared primed for a dominant season. However, the Buckeyes stumbled with key losses to Oregon and Michigan.
The frustration from fans was relentless, and Day acknowledged their disappointment.
“I don’t think I need to have a sales pitch. I feel their frustration. There’s no way to defend losing four years in a row,” Day said of Ohio State’s recent string of struggles against Michigan.
“Sometimes, when you’re really close and feel frustrated, you got to push through. And that’s what we’re gonna do.”
(To their credit, that’s exactly what they did.)
The Buckeyes rallied to win four straight games in the expanded College Football Playoff, defeating Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and ultimately Notre Dame, 34–23, to capture the national title.
Ahead of the championship game, Day received public backing from legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who defended Day’s capabilities despite the outside criticism.
ESPN lead college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit also made his feelings for Day perfectly clear as he broke down in tears after the Buckeyes’ win last night.
Day’s victory was more than just a personal redemption – it was Ohio State’s first national championship under his leadership.
At the end of the Day (pun), Ohio State proved to be the best team in the country and earned their national title.
Having said that, there are some fans who believe an asterisk should exist on the 2024 Ohio State season due to their inexplicable loss to Michigan.
Part of the reason why some fans feel that the Buckeyes don’t fully deserve to be champions is because in any other season they wouldn’t have even made the playoffs.
But the fact is we live in reality. And the reality is that the playoff field has expanded to 12 teams, and despite the loss to Michigan, Ohio State more than deserved a seat at the table.
To their credit, they made the most of their second life and dominated their way through a very tough path to the title.
Having said that, does losing four straight to Michigan take some of the joy out of winning the championship (especially considering how shocking this season’s loss was)?
Should Buckeyes fans be annoyed that Jack Sawyer and the senior class will depart Columbus without ever beating the Wolverines???
