Stood at the outset of his CFP campaign, Ryan Day will be glad to see the regular season in the rear-view mirror. Although there were a multitude of great moments, they got superseded by one fateful Saturday. His self-proclaimed “worst-thing that’s ever happened” took a familiar maize and blue form. For the 4th straight time, Ryan Day had to live out a transcendent horror.  Ohio State were about 3-touchdown favorites to finally snap their losing streak to arch-nemesis Michigan. They came up short once again. This one performance at The Shoe may well have got the wheels turning on Ryan Day getting the proverbial boot!

In the lead-up to the latest iteration of The Game, Ryan Day explicitly stated how emotionally tolling losing to the Wolverines is for him. “It’s one of the worst things that’s happened to me in my life, quite honestly – other than losing my father,” he said. Coach Day’s father, Raymond Day, took his own life when Ryan was 8 years old. Naturally, this statement about losing a football game being akin to a life-altering tragedy didn’t fully resonate with those on the outside.

ESPN’s Rece Davis sat down with Ryan Day before OSU’s round 1 game against Tennessee. Among other prevalent questions, Davis asked Coach Day about the aforementioned comment. “Leading up to the Michigan game, you described what it was like to lose [against them]. You compared it to other great tragedies in your life, losing your father and some other things. What led you to say that?” he asked. Ryan Day reiterated how it’s a “real” feeling, which those of a Buckeyes’ persuasion will relate to. 

He replied “Well, I think when you’re the head coach at Ohio State, it’s a great honor, just like our players. We want to win so much to make sure that you know we’re doing right by these players, the fans, everybody that loves so much about Ohio State. So yeah, we pour into this thing, with everything that we have. So, you know, when you don’t succeed in some of those games- Yeah. You feel it, and it’s real.” 

One wonders whether this dread will weigh on him heading into the playoffs. 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 this 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. This time, though, a valiant loss may not be enough for Ryan Day to quell the fanbase’s echoes of disdain towards him.

Ryan Day needs a deep playoff run to overcome Michigan loss, starting against Tennessee

Ryan Day has a 66-10 record at OSU. However, the primary concern reverberating across the fanbase and beyond has been whether Ryan Day can win you the big one- A Natty. He’s been viewed as a bit of a floor-raiser and not a ceiling-raiser. While his teams are often rubbing shoulders in the upper echelons, they often fall flat in the big moments. His 4 straight losses to the Wolverines are a proponent of this.

From a talent and personnel standpoint, the Tennessee Volunteers are outmatched. However, a more talented roster on paper is only one reason why the Buckeyes should win. For a southern team such as the Vols, travelling to Columbus 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 will hope to lean on this advantage. His path to winning over the skeptics doesn’t get any easier if he overcomes Tennessee. No.1 Oregon is awaiting the winner. But coach Day brought this difficult route 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.