A couple of months ago, the Ohio State football team looked like they were done. They had lost their fourth straight game to Michigan and looked like they were going to limp their way into a first-round loss in the College Football Playoff. Ryan Day was under fire.
Quite frankly, he was under fire from me as well. I called for Day to be fired after the season. At the time, it was clear to me that he would never beat TTUN. Questions about him winning big games were still up in the air as well. It looked like this program would be in a better spot without him leading it.
Then came the most impressive College Football Playoff run in college football history. Day led the Buckeyes right through the toughest path possible. The Buckeyes took down Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame on the way to a national championship. Now, Day is a national champion.
Ryan Day has earned the right to continue leading the Ohio State football program
While there are still questions about his ability to beat TTUN, I had it wrong. Many others had it wrong, too. Day showed on this run that he has it in him to win the biggest games in the sport. Strangely, I have a weird confidence that he now has a blueprint on how to handle beating Michigan now, too.
What was abundantly clear during this historic run is just how much his players love him. The players absolutely loved going out there and proving everyone wrong for him. Day kept getting hugs from the seniors during the run, including Jack Sawyer. Sawyer said Day was one of the big reasons he came back for his senior year.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are glad to have Day. Ohio State football fans should, too. I was wrong about Day, and I'm willing to eat the L. Day can stay in Columbus for as long as he wants.