During Thursday’s Sugar Bowl broadcast between No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame, ESPN college football announcer Sean McDonough stirred up controversy with a sarcastic remark aimed at Ohio State’s fan base.
While previewing the upcoming Cotton Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Texas, McDonough referenced the Buckeye faithful’s critical response to head coach Ryan Day’s four consecutive losses to Michigan.
“Do they still want to fire him?” McDonough asked while promoting the matchup.
The comment, while intended as a lighthearted jab, did not sit well with some Ohio State fans, who took to social media to voice their displeasure.
One fan wrote: “Sean McDonough is a classless person…ESPN should fire him for making a comment if Ryan Day should be fired. The guy is busting his butt and his players love him. He runs a great and clean program and just destroyed the # 1 and # 9 teams in the country. Classless!!!!”
Another fan expressed frustration with the ongoing narrative: “McDonough had to say “do they still want Day fired”. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit tired of people acting like the entire fanbase wanted Day fired, when most just asked if he was the right guy.”
Yet another commenter took a more personal tone: “Sean McDonough is the guy you beat up in High School. What a weak joke of an announcer. Whine.”
McDonough is not the first ESPN broadcaster to take aim at Ohio State’s passionate fan base.
During Ohio State’s first-round College Football Playoff win over Tennessee, lead analyst Kirk Herbstreit labeled a segment of the fan base as a “lunatic fringe.”
“The lunatic fringe at Ohio State is as powerful as anywhere in the country. It used to be eight to 10, I think it’s grown now to about 15 to 20,” Herbstreit said.
“I’m sure they’ll be happy tonight, fired up about what the team did, but God forbid they lose to Oregon. They’ll want to fire [Day] again.”
“First Take tried to fire him. They thought he was done, so I’ll be excited to see what they talk about after this performance,” Herbstreit continued.
“They had him out, trying to find replacements. But here he is, he still has his hat on. He’s still coaching.”
Ohio State fans were vocal after the team’s shocking loss to Michigan, with some questioning Day’s ability to lead the program.
However, the Buckeyes’ dominant performances against top-ranked Tennessee and Oregon in the College Football Playoff have silenced many critics.
If Ohio State secures the national title, tensions in Buckeye Nation may cool – for now.
But as Herbstreit hinted, the pressure will ramp up again come next November, particularly when Michigan looms on the schedule.
McDonough’s remark underscores the intense scrutiny and emotional investment that college football fans bring to the game.
With respect to the powerhouse programs of the SEC, you could make the strong argument that there’s not a more passionate fanbase in all of college football than Ohio State.
As many Buckeyes fans have pointed out, the narrative that the “lunatic fringe” speaks for the entire fanbase can be quite frustrating.
While Day faced plenty of criticism over the loss to Michigan – and rightfully so – he and the entire coaching staff have done an excellent job of righting the ship.
But we all know that the only way to truly silence the doubters is to win the national championship. (And even then the sting over the Michigan loss won’t completely go away.)
For now, the sole focus for Day and the red-hot Buckeyes is on their upcoming Cotton Bowl clash against the Texas Longhorns.
Ohio State is currently viewed as the favorites to win the national title. In other words, what could possibly go wrong?
What are your thoughts on McDonough’s comments and the never-ending Ryan Day drama???
