Ryan Day dealing with pressure to deliver Buckeyes a Championship
Ohio State Coach Ryan Day talks to his players during a timeout in the fourth quarter against Iowa Saturday October 22, 2022 at Ohio Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
INDIANAPOLIS — Although he’s one of the most successful coaches in today’s game, there’s a hardware missing from Ohio State’s trophy case that he has yet to capture during his tenure in Columbus.
It’s no mystery that Ryan Day recruits like a monster, and keeps the Buckeyes’ roster full of elite talent. His 56-8 record through five-plus seasons speaks for itself. Not to mention Day continues to dominate in the Big Ten, with two conference titles, and an unbelievable 40-3 mark against the opposition.
However, those three losses are to the hated team up north. There’s no denying Michigan has been a thorn in Day’s side. The road to the Big Ten Championship runs through Ann Arbor, but Jim Harbaugh is no longer there, and Buckeye fans feel Day needs to strike now.
After all, the team he has assembled during the offseason is impressive. Day lured in All-Big 12 quarterback Will Howard, who led Kansas State to conference title in 2022. He also put some juice in the backfield with two-time, 1,000-yard rusher Quinshon Judkins, who’s a back-to-back All-SEC performer. Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will be the best running back tandem in College Football.
Day also landed Alabama transfer and former five-star Caleb Downs, who’s arguably the best safety in the nation to help out in the secondary. The cherry on top in Day’s eyes is the addition of veteran coach Chip Kelly to his staff, who’ll operate the offense.
Now Day believes he has the team that can get Ohio State to the promised land, and understands what comes with the territory. That means he has to beat the Wolverines, and it’s basically National Championship or bust.
“We all know that there’s a lot of noise and hype around this team, but what we can’t do is let those distractions grab our focus from what we do day in and day out,” Day said. “We know it’s going to be a long season, but we gotta have a physical preseason, we gotta lay that foundation for what’s going to come.”
With no disrespect to Georgia, Ohio State will likely start out the season No. 1. The schedule is favorable, with Michigan at the Horseshoe. The only challenging games will be at Penn State and Oregon. Day owns James Franklin, and despite losing to the Ducks at home in 2021, the Buckeyes are eager to return the favor in Eugene this fall.
Everything starts with building up the lines, because the conference is downright physical, and depth is critical when navigating through the Big Ten gauntlet. Day is confident in the lines on both sides of the ball. There’s leadership, experience and production, plus everyone is hungry. That’s why Day is embracing the pressure, and expects to win every game.
“We want to win the rivalry game, be in this stadium right here to win a Big Ten Championship and a National Championship, we know that,” he said. “At the same time we can’t let that be our focus, because that’s a distraction from where we are right now.”
Kelly’s short time with the program is looking promising to Day. His playbook is deep, with a variety of ways to move the ball and score. One of the hardest things Day had to do was give up play-calling. Still, he knows the offense is in good hands with Kelly, and the fans are expecting the unit to take the league by storm.
With fall camp approaching, Day is ready to get after it, and find out what this year’s Buckeyes are made of. It’s going to be a long season though, and the hard work starts in August. At the end of the day this team has the potential to be special.
“We’re very excited about our guys, we have great experience in that locker room, and some great talent, but it’s going to take more than talent, it’s going to take all of the no-talent issues to get where we want to be, and reach our goals.”
