Ryan Day and Ohio State Need to Prove Themselves to the Country… Again

For New England native Ryan Day, everything was going swimmingly for Ohio State. They finally beat their archrival Michigan in “The Game” in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Day got that elusive win that plagued him for years and almost cost him his job. Ohio State looked poised to win the Big Ten Championship and get into the Rose Bowl as the one seed in the College Football Playoffs. However, Indiana said “Not so fast my friend” as the recently retired Lee Corso would say and Indiana beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship behind Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman clinching performance.

As a result of this defeat, Ryan Day and Ohio State remain largely unproven in the country. The Big Ten Championship against Indiana was the first time all season that Ohio State played a legit team. Ohio State played against teams that were overhyped such as Texas, Illinois, and Michigan. They also played against teams that were mediocre or bad such as Rutgers and Washington. Indiana was the first time that Ohio State could show the country that the team was for real behind a deadly running back duo that included Jeremiyah Love and a defense coached by former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Instead, they stubbed their toe and as a result were denied a chance for the Rose Bowl, the pinnacle of Big Ten football glory, and had to settle for the Cotton Bowl in Texas on New Years Eve against either Miami (FL) or Texas A&M.

The question going into the College Football Playoffs for Ryan Day and Ohio State should be are they overhyped? If they lose in the Cotton Bowl, the answer will be yes, and Ohio State needs to be more considerate when it comes to scheduling non-conference games. If they win the Cotton Bowl, then the answer will be no, and should be on the path to a potential rematch with Indiana. Regardless, questions remain high if Ohio State can pull off back to back National Championships.