Ryan Day is getting an unlikely ally in his conquest to get OSU to the natty. Michigan and the Bucks have a history. Every time for the last 3 years, whenever the Bucks have tried to win a game against the Wolverines, they have lost. This year was a good one for Ryan Day. Michigan has no Jim Harbaugh and their QB depth under HC Sherrone Moore is pretty much a joke. The team was being carried by its defensive line and Ryan Day could easily deal with that, right? Yeah, not exactly. Somehow, Day got handed his 4th loss to the Wolverines, and the Bucks had to head back on with a 10-13 score on their home field.

Still, Ryan Day is in the playoffs, and this time, they are getting invaded by the SEC. OSU has to prove themselves against the Vols in the first round of the playoffs and Day needs all the support they can get. So take a wild guess who showed up? Die-hard Michigan fan Dave Portnoy. “I’m not gonna let the SEC and the orange and the Vols take over big ten schools. I know I’m rivals with Ohio State. I don’t care. This is Big Ten Pride. I’m gonna help you out,” Portnoy said on his Instagram story. This man is a gift that keeps on giving, and honestly, Ryan Day could use the moral boost.

See, after the UM game, there was only one single chant at Ohio State: “Fire Ryan Day”. And it was understandable why. Day has a $21 million roster, and how could you take that and lose to a 5-loss Michigan team that is a hollow shell of its former self?

Everything the offense and defense did was wrong. QB Will Howard was a mess and Day and Chip Kelly tried to outdo a Michigan team that is pretty good when it comes down to getting physical. See, Nick Saban pointed it out perfectly. “Ohio State played free and easy against Indiana. Not so much against Michigan,” the former Bama HC had mentioned.

You could see from the game that with every drive and FG Michigan landed, Day lost more and more confidence. This paired with the fact that Kelly never made use of the elite running corp and wide receiver corp, handed the L to OSU. But even though Portnoy is coming over with his support, don’t y’all think this Vols game could end up looking like another Michigan vs OSU game?

Similar struggles for Ryan Day?

When it comes to offense, the Vols have been hit or miss. Whenever QB Nico Iamaleava has given his 100%, the Vols have swum past big disasters, but whenever this guy has failed; the offense turns into a turnover machine. As Brandon Zimmerman pointed out, “Nico Iamaleava has the lowest QBR of any starting QB in the CFP.”

This does mean Day has the upper hand in terms of offensive depth. But then again, whenever Nico has failed, the Vols defense has stepped up. When it comes to creating pressure on the quarterback, Josh Heupel’s defensive line comes out on top.

And this is what could deter OSU from the natty run. Howard was tragic against a defense that could pressure him (aka Michigan). He went for 2 interceptions and only landed 19 out of the total 33 pass attempts.

Vols have managed to keep all 3 of its last opponents down to the 15-point average. Georgia got by with a 30+ point game because they made proper use of their WR and RBs. Day and Kelly have to do the same, or this time, OSU fans are coming for his head.