Ohio State is still depressed about Saturday’s game. In an exciting Big Ten showdown between two of the leading contenders, No. 2 Ohio State lost to No. 3 Oregon by a single point, dropping Ohio State to No. 4. As a result, Oregon rose to the No. 2 place. However, two days earlier, Ryan Day’s program had received support from ESPN’s Greg McElroy, who stated, “I think Ohio State has a vastly superior roster and will pound the football.” But the field environment was really loud. “I feel as though I was there last night. Ohio State was occasionally shaken and disturbed by that atmosphere,” said Josh Pate. Now the question remains, can this one loss of the season make Ryan Day’s Buckeyes lose their footing?

In the aftermath of Oregon vs. Ohio State on October 16, Josh Pate asserted that this defeat would increase Ryan Day and Co’s desperation. “I mean, there’s just a giant red carpet that gets rolled out right now for a few weeks down the road for this Ohio state team, which will now be, in desperation, sort of must win back against the wall mode in conference play to go on the road to Happy Valley,” said Josh. Additionally, it makes perfect sense to say, “Everyone knew they had two big road dates. They had this one, and they failed this one,” he remarked.

According to Josh, “Ohio State’s got to go on the road again in an environment that may almost be as tough as this one tonight.” But if this atmosphere had unsettled Ohio State, then what about their next game, where they would have to contend with the same atmosphere? To find out that you have to watch Ohio State’s upcoming game. 

However, this time, they made a mistake against Oregon. Ohio State‘s offense suffered in their conference loss to Oregon. “ Ohio State’s offensive line didn’t perform particularly well, in my opinion,” said an analyst. Practically speaking, the Buckeyes did put up a strong offensive battle against a No. 2 team, scoring 31 points on 467 yards. However, the long passes and run game fell short of expectations. Hence, Ryan Day is unable to shake the perception that he is unable to secure victory over formidable opponents in any situation.

The current role of Ryan Day for the Ohio State

In contrast to the top four periods, CFP has expanded to a 12-team format this year, which has lessened the emphasis on rankings. Teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes are able to remain in the postseason race despite possible setbacks thanks to this new system, which allows them a little more breathing room. It’s still not an easy road. To maintain their chances of making the playoffs, they don’t absolutely have to defeat their biggest rival, the Michigan Wolverines, but Ryan Day faces more difficult obstacles.

Despite having the safety net of the playoffs, Day is under increasing strain. His job security might be called into question sooner rather than later if he is unable to defeat Michigan or lead Columbus to a title with a squad full of talented players. The fire is already starting to flare, and Day might not have a job in a few months if the Buckeyes falter in the final minutes.

However, in relation to their rivalry, Michigan and Ohio State have a rich past. A minor battle between militias from both states in the 1830s marked the start of it. Fans now refer to the annual meeting between the teams, which took place in 1897 and has been yearly since 1918, as “The Game.” As of now, Sherrone Moore’s No. 3 Michigan squad defeated Ryan Day’s No. 2 Ohio State squad 30–24 previous year to win their third consecutive game. Having lost their last three games to Michigan, Ohio State has an opportunity to make up for those defeats this year. Will it happen in real life? Or will Ryan’s job be in doubt?