“I don’t know.”
The curt however brutally sincere response by beleaguered Ohio State coach Ryan Day may have been the reply to a myriad of questions, equivalent to why can’t you beat Michigan?
How can such a proficient group look so feeble in opposition to a lower than stellar Wolverines crew that was a three-touchdown underdog?
What does this imply to your future?
All are good queries, however he was requested particularly how the No. 2 (not for lengthy) Buckeyes regroup for the playoffs after some of the devastating upsets within the historical past of the storied rivalry. That’s saying one thing given the variety of occasions the Wolverines have been spoilers.
The 13-10 defeat in Ohio Stadium on Saturday prevented the Buckeyes from getting revenge in opposition to Oregon within the Large Ten title recreation on Dec. 7. The highest-ranked Geese received 32-31 in Eugene, Oregon, on Oct. 12, and ever since Ohio State knew it must win out to achieve that aim. So, what did the Buckeyes do?
They went to Comfortable Valley and defeated No. 4 Penn State, the identical Nittany Lions, who, by advantage of Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, will play Oregon for the convention championship and provides one other distressed coach (James Franklin) an opportunity for redemption. Oh, the irony.
Ohio State downed overrated No. 5 Indiana handily within the leadup to the Michigan recreation, and the whole lot appeared to be able to pour it on in opposition to the Wolverines, who wanted a win over Northwestern within the penultimate recreation to grow to be bowl eligible.
So, once more, Ryan Day how will a program that spent $20 million to draw or retain gamers this season and had a dozen of them return once they didn’t must and acknowledged their prime precedence was not a nationwide championship however to beat Michigan now put together for an unknown opponent at an unknown place in three weeks after a demoralizing setback?
“I don’t know. I’m contemporary off the sport so I don’t actually have the reply to that,” Day mentioned. “We’re dissatisfied. By no means thought this is able to occur proper right here.”
“We have been anticipating to win this recreation and play within the Large Ten Championship Recreation and neither of these issues occurred….” It’s too quickly to determine what’s subsequent.”
He wasn’t the one one shocked. A supply mentioned OSU Police have been planning to let the followers tear down the aim posts after the Buckeyes’ first win over their rival since 2019.
As a substitute, they spent the moments after the sport utilizing pepper spray to disperse the melee after Michigan gamers tried to plant its flag at midfield and the Buckeyes, uh, objected.
It was a farce however one other instance of the toothlessness of the NCAA, which has no governance on paying gamers tens of hundreds of thousands earlier than they step on campus to “get an schooling.”
It’s the identical NCAA that appears the opposite approach when followers storm fields or courts as a result of, properly, youngsters shall be youngsters. So, who cares about taunting a whole stadium with these large unhealthy flags?
After all, all of the Buckeyes wanted to do to close up Michigan was to win. Now, they face the prospect of presumably shedding dwelling subject for the primary spherical of the playoffs whereas the warmth on Day will increase exponentially over the subsequent three weeks till the playoffs start.
Simply ask the hordes of followers outdoors the house locker room space the place dad and mom and households have been ready who chanted lengthy and loud, “Fireplace Ryan Day.”
Simply making the nationwide championship recreation will not be sufficient to mollify them after one other Michigan catastrophe. It’s natty or bust for individuals who have been promised a lot and have acquired so little.
Ohio State has a humiliation of riches. Saturday was merely embarrassing.
