Subscribe
Follow Us
Calls for the dismissal of Ohio State head coach Ryan Day are nothing new in the Buckeye State. It seems as if ever since Day took over for Urban Meyer before the 2019 season, the 45-year-old coach has been sitting on something resembling a hot seat, despite the fact that Day has coached the Buckeyes to a 66-10 record during his tenure. But to Ohio State fans, there's one record that means even more — 0-4, which is Day's record against Michigan over the last four season.
It's possible that no loss to Michigan did more damage to Day's legacy than the one Ohio State suffered to the Wolverines on the final Saturday of the regular season. A 13-10 defeat in Columbus may not have knocked the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff picture, but it slammed the door shut on the possibility that Ohio State could win their first Big Ten Title since 2020. A post-game melee between the two programs certainly didn't help matters.
Now it seems the fire is hotter than ever, with members of the media and former Buckeyes calling for the head of not just Ryan Day, but Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly as well. One of those former Buckeyes, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward, went in on both Day and Kelly during a recent episode of his Not Just Football podcast.
“There was no thought behind that offense it felt like. How do you reward a team that like, in the Oregon game you were unprepared for that moment. So now I look at this Michigan game, you lost to a 6 – 5 team and you look unprepared, that has to have repercussions,” Heyward said.
Heyward noted that Ohio State will likely still make the College Football Playoff, but doesn't seem to have much confidence in this regime moving forward, echoing what a lot of Buckeye fans feel after Ohio State inexplicably attempted to out-physical Michigan in a game in which they had a clear talent advantage.
“I was utterly shocked the way our offense handled that situation,” Heyward said. “Not throwing to Jeremiah Smith, not throwing to Emeka Egbuka. Will Johnson was not playing. Everybody got the scouting report, everybody should have known that, if you can’t find ways to scheme those guys open, I don’t think you can be a coordinator at that level.”
Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka were targeted a combined 14 times and hauled in 9 receptions for 86 yards against Michigan. On the season, the Buckeyes dynamic duo averages a combined 138 yards per game. Even worse, Ohio State was held 25 points below their scoring average for the season.
