“I don’t know.”
The curt however brutally sincere response by beleaguered Ohio State coach Ryan Day might have been the reply to a myriad of questions, reminiscent of why can’t you beat Michigan?
How can such a proficient group look so feeble towards a lower than stellar Wolverines group that was a three-touchdown underdog?
What does this imply to your future?
All are good queries, however he was requested particularly how the No. 2 (not for lengthy) Buckeyes regroup for the playoffs after one of the crucial devastating upsets within the historical past of the storied rivalry. That’s saying one thing given the variety of instances the Wolverines have been spoilers.
The 13-10 defeat in Ohio Stadium on Saturday prevented the Buckeyes from getting revenge towards Oregon within the Massive Ten title sport on Dec. 7. The highest-ranked Geese gained 32-31 in Eugene, Oregon, on Oct. 12, and ever since Ohio State knew it must win out to realize that objective. So, what did the Buckeyes do?
They went to Pleased Valley and defeated No. 4 Penn State, the identical Nittany Lions, who, by advantage of Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, will play Oregon for the convention championship and provides one other distressed coach (James Franklin) an opportunity for redemption. Oh, the irony.
Ohio State downed overrated No. 5 Indiana handily within the leadup to the Michigan sport, and every little thing appeared to be able to pour it on towards the Wolverines, who wanted a win over Northwestern within the penultimate sport to turn out to be bowl eligible.
So, once more, Ryan Day how will a program that spent $20 million to draw or retain gamers this season and had a dozen of them return once they didn’t should and said their prime precedence was not a nationwide championship however to beat Michigan now put together for an unknown opponent at an unknown place in three weeks after a demoralizing setback?
“I don’t know. I’m contemporary off the sport so I don’t actually have the reply to that,” Day stated. “We’re dissatisfied. By no means thought this might occur proper right here.”
“We had been anticipating to win this sport and play within the Massive Ten Championship Sport and neither of these issues occurred….” It’s too quickly to determine what’s subsequent.”
He wasn’t the one one shocked. A supply stated OSU Police had been planning to let the followers tear down the objective posts after the Buckeyes’ first win over their rival since 2019.
As a substitute, they spent the moments after the sport utilizing pepper spray to disperse the melee after Michigan gamers tried to plant its flag at midfield and the Buckeyes, uh, objected.
It was a farce however one other instance of the toothlessness of the NCAA, which has no governance on paying gamers tens of hundreds of thousands earlier than they step on campus to “get an training.”
It’s the identical NCAA that appears the opposite approach when followers storm fields or courts as a result of, effectively, youngsters will likely be youngsters. So, who cares about taunting a complete stadium with these massive dangerous flags?
In fact, all of the Buckeyes wanted to do to close up Michigan was to win. Now, they face the prospect of presumably dropping dwelling discipline for the primary spherical of the playoffs whereas the warmth on Day will increase exponentially over the following three weeks till the playoffs start.
Simply ask the hordes of followers outdoors the house locker room space the place dad and mom and households had been ready who chanted lengthy and loud, “Fireplace Ryan Day.”
Simply making the nationwide championship sport is probably not sufficient to mollify them after one other Michigan catastrophe. It’s natty or bust for many who had been promised a lot and have obtained so little.
Ohio State has a humiliation of riches. Saturday was merely embarrassing.