To say a transcendent horror recently descended upon The Shoe wouldn’t be hyperbolic. The Buckeyes’, and by extension Ryan Day’s biggest nightmare, took a maize and blue form that fateful Saturday. Ohio State’s loss in The Game to Michigan may just have changed the trajectory of the program. Not only did it cast doubts over Coach Day in the long run. It will perhaps affect him in the immediate- during his traversal through the CFP.

With how the pieces have fallen, Ohio State isn’t sitting too pretty in the now-officialized CFP bracket. The 8th seed Buckeyes have one of the more treacherous paths to the Natty. One silver lining, perhaps, is that they’re afforded the right to host round 1 in Columbus. However, a couple of national analysts believe this isn’t particularly good news for Ryan Day.

Dan Wetzel and Pat Forde took to their shared platform, The College Football Enquirer podcast, to break down the impending battle between Big 10 members Ohio State and the SEC’s Tennessee Vols. This cross-conference matchup between what’s perceived as the two best factions is already a captivating storyline. Wetzel presented another wrinkle to it. “Josh Heupel’s program is surging. [For] Ohio State, it’s all going to be about ‘can they wipe the memory of Michigan out?’ Is that going to drag them down, or is it now liberating?”, he questioned.

It is noteworthy that the Buckeyes have previously shown an ability to bounce back from this very adversity. Back in 2022, they fell to Michigan as part of an active 4-game losing streak. Instead of figuratively shutting down for the season, the Buckeyes brought their A-game in the Peach Bowl against Georgia. Albeit their valiant efforts weren’t enough in an eventual 42-41 loss. According to Pat Forde, their past resurgence may not translate in a linear way, especially due to the venue.

Forde claimed, “They’re going to win multiple games probably in this tournament. But the hangover this time is bigger. I think the residue from this loss [and] having a home game could work against them… If they get off to another slow start like they did against, say, Indiana- Oh boy, that place is gonna be not pleasant. I think it’s already shown the pressure of the job and the season. That has already shown an effect on Ryan Day and probably on the players. [If they start slow] I think it would multiply, and you’re playing a really good opponent.” He even said, “I kind of like Tennessee in this situation.”

The Buckeyes crowd was audibly booing at different junctures of The Game. Despite a fair assessment of matters, Forde is perhaps not paying heed to one important facet.

Home field still an advantage for Ryan Day despite Forde’s remarks

Since the realignment of conferences this offseason, one question has been prevalent. Is the B1G now rubbing shoulders with the SEC? Homers of either persuasion will have their own opinion. The one tangible way to decipher this problem was a cross-conference clash between teams from either side. The footballing gods (and the committee!) have blessed fans with granting this wish.

For the game itself, it’s advantage Ohio State. A more talented roster on paper is only one reason. For a southern team such as the Vols, travelling to Ohio in mid-December is a daunting proposition. The elements will not be in their favour. With how cold the conditions are expected to be, it’ll likely play a huge role in the outcome of the game. 

Ryan Day hopes to take advantage of this. He’s got one of the best rosters ever assembled in CFB history at his disposal. His path to glory doesn’t get any easier if he overcomes Tennessee, with Oregon awaiting the winner. But Day brought this upon himself in many ways by losing to Michigan and not making the conference championship game. He needs this one, or else his disposition at the OSU helm could end prematurely.