Main as much as the showdown towards the Michigan Wolverines on the finish of November, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day had some brutally trustworthy quotes that present how a lot the rivalry means to him and eats at him when he’s on the dropping finish of it.
“Aside from dropping my father and some different issues, prefer it’s fairly actually, for my household, the worst factor that’s occurred,” Day mentioned in November. “So we will by no means have that occur once more ever.”
It occurred once more and Ohio State has now misplaced 4 in a row to Michigan.
When Ohio State misplaced 13-10 to Michigan to finish the common season regardless of being 20.5-point favorites, issues received ugly for this system in a rush. Ohio State completed the common season with a 10-2 file however followers have been indignant and pundits ripped Day to oblivion regardless of this system nonetheless making the School Soccer Playoff.
“This man Ryan Day, if he doesn’t get a Nationwide Championship, he ought to go,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith mentioned final month.
Whereas Day hasn’t gained a Nationwide Championship but, there’s no denying Ohio State’s turnaround for the reason that Michigan loss has been downright spectacular. The Buckeyes have gained three in a row within the playoffs — a 42-17 win over Tennessee within the first spherical, a 41-21 trouncing of Oregon on the Rose Bowl, and a 28-14 victory over Texas on the Cotton Bowl. And now they’re 8.5-point betting favorites over Notre Dame within the Nationwide Championship on Monday night time in Atlanta.
Ohio State’s renewed focus will be credited to how they dug down after the Michigan loss and cleaned up points that led to that defeat.
“I feel there’s some nice tales to be informed about what went on behind closed doorways and a few of the issues that have been mentioned and the private challenges that we had for one another and collectively the story, however the one method that will get informed is that if a banner will get put up within the Woody, that’s it,” Day mentioned this week. “That’s the sobering actuality of this recreation, that no one cares about what you undergo, and also you’ve received to win that closing one to complete the mission. That’s it for our guys, and as a lot as a few of these wins have been nice wins for us, to me, it’s about successful this closing recreation.”
Ohio State defensive finish Jack Sawyer additionally spoke about how the Michigan loss stung however gave the staff a chance to mirror and rise from the proverbial ashes.
“I can’t even describe it. I gained’t ever recover from that loss,” Sawyer shared. “And actually, it’s the kind of loss most groups don’t stand up from. Everybody blames everybody else, this system simply sort of quits on itself, the following recreation they lay an egg — and impulsively it’s over. That might have simply been us towards Tennessee, and I’m certain lots of people anticipated it. However what these folks didn’t perceive is, for as harsh as a few of the criticism was that was coming from the surface? Inside our program, it’s household.”
Sawyer mentioned that after the Michigan recreation, the staff took per week to digest it after which had a gathering. Sawyer mentioned “Guys have been upset, pissed off” and “tempers flared” with issues getting “heated”. Troublesome questions have been requested within the assembly, and Sawyer credit Day for rolling with the punches and being receptive to the frustrations. This led Sawyer and Ohio State to decide on a few paths ahead.
“Choice A: We may keep down after taking that punch from TTUN (the staff up north), and already be defeated, and play the way in which most individuals anticipated us to play. Or possibility B: We may get again up. Be pissed off. Lock in. Go on the market. And play our f***ing recreation,” Sawyer mentioned. “We may stop, like we knew everybody needed us to … or be the most effective staff within the nation, like we all know we’re. We selected Choice B.”
Ohio State didn’t overreact or overcorrect after the loss to Michigan — they collectively felt it had extra to do with mentality and execution in comparison with something schematic.
“It’s not one thing magical or mystical,” offensive assistant Justin Frye mentioned. “There was an alignment, an task, a communication error. How do you right that and clear that up so you possibly can play extra violent and bodily and with extra confidence?”
No staff appears extra assured than Ohio State in the intervening time and with a win over Notre Dame within the Nationwide Championship, Ryan Day would lastly silence his critics and develop into a legend within the eyes of the Buckeye trustworthy. It might put Day on the identical pedestal as different nice Ohio State coaches who’ve gained Nationwide Championships with this system (Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Jim Tressel and City Meyer), and it’ll actually get folks off his again for dropping 4 in a row to Michigan.