Ryan Day provided the quote(s) of the weekend after his Ohio State Buckeyes outlasted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in what was a dramatic and hard-fought 17-14 victory.
Day was most proud of the toughness his Buckeyes showed – Something that was not only questioned, but doubted, by legendary Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz.
A fired-up Day spoke straight from the heart during his feisty postgame on-field interview with NBC…
And here’s Ryan Day fired up over Lou Holtz: pic.twitter.com/kYkGAn5BAt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2023
Day’s fighting words were in reference to what Holtz had said the day prior on The Pat McAfee show…
Lou Holtz's statement on the Pat McAfee Show, which elicited an angry response from Ryan Day after Ohio State's victory over Notre Dame:
pic.twitter.com/aoWyHWXhtr— OutOfSightSports🚀™️ (@OOSSports) September 24, 2023
ESPN college football host Rece Davis believes that Day’s ire might have been misplaced.
“I’m not sure what Ryan thought the target of his anger should be because I’m not certain Ryan knew exactly what he heard. What Ryan responded to in the aftermath was a quote that he attributed to Lou Holtz,” Davis said on The College Gameday Podcast.
Davis also suggested that Day’s attack on Holtz might be a projection of his frustration with a different rival, Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh.
“He was really mad at Jim Harbaugh and took it out on Lou Holtz,” Davis hypothesized. “I remember after Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time, Ryan Day taking aim at Lou Holtz made just as much sense as when Jim Harbaugh said after beating Ohio State, ‘Where’s Woody Hayes?'”
Nobody ever wants their toughness questioned, so it’s completely understandable why Day was so fired up. If you’re a Buckeye fan (or any non-Michigan fan), how can you not love what he said?
After winning a game like that, Day is entitled to say pretty much anything he wants.
To his credit, he used Holtz’s doubts as extra motivation, and it worked.
Meanwhile, it seems like Davis was just trying to stick up for his friend…
What a great dinner companion. Made the trip to the Bend even better. @CoachLouHoltz88. Spent 10 years with this man. He means a ton to me and my family. We missed @mark_may! pic.twitter.com/F1k9ZoLlax
— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) September 22, 2023
What is your take on the situation???