Ohio State's Ryan Day enters the College Football Playoff facing disaster

The challenge facing Ohio State is unmistakable. Ryan Day is heading toward either a miserable end to a disastrous season or a spectacular recovery.
The playoffs will show whether Michigan simply defeated Ohio State or extinguished the Buckeyes’ soul.
Ohio State will face a Tennessee defense that is every bit as good as Michigan’s unit that handcuffed the Buckeyes.

As I thought about Ohio State University’s strong draw in the College Football Playoff, an iconic scene in the movie “Apollo 13” came to mind.

When NASA flight director Gene Kranz, played by Ed Harris, hears a colleague say that this would be the worst disaster in the space agency’s history, Kranz responds, “With all due respect, sir, I believe this will be our disaster.” . “finest hour.”

It’s a stretch to compare the College Football Playoff to a space mission, but Ryan Day’s Buckeyes have a strong dichotomy.

Ohio State underperformed with its reported $20 million roster this season, and the resulting No. 8 seed puts it in a tight spot. The Buckeyes will have to face No. 9 Tennessee, No. 1 Oregon, possibly No. 5 Texas in the semifinals and possibly No. 2 Georgia in the national championship game.

Oof.

Such a tie threatens to set Ohio State up for an early playoff exit, ending a season that Buckeyes fans would consider disastrous.

On the other hand, if Day spurs Ohio State to the national championship game, it would be his finest hour in a six-year tenure that includes an impressive win-loss record marred by repeated disappointments against Michigan and in the postseason.

NEW BOSSES: Where does Bill Belichick rank among coaches?

From best to worst:Ranking the 35 college football bowl games

Ohio State needs to shake off Michigan to solve Tennessee’s defense

Without the introduction of 12-team playoffs, Ohio State would be involved in a bowl game that is also being played. This expanded postseason saved a roster that has as much talent as any playoff qualifier, but the Buckeyes can’t shake the notion that Day can’t win the big game.

Now he faces four big opponents.

An early exit from the playoffs would turn up the heat on Day to such an extent that the mercury threatens to boil.

“We are still breathing. We’re still alive,” Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said last week on 97.1-FM, a Columbus radio station. “The season isn’t over yet.” The book isn’t closed, is it?”

Sounds encouraging, right? No not really. When I hear a phrase like “We’re still breathing,” it generally doesn’t trigger optimistic thoughts.

This playoff will test how much Michigan has crippled the Buckeyes.

Did Michigan simply beat Ohio State in the regular season finale, or did the Wolverines suck the soul out of this team? Ohio State’s first-round game against Tennessee will shed some light on this.

The Volunteers’ defense performed better than Michigan’s unit, which limited Ohio State to 10 points and 252 yards. The Buckeyes remain without two starting offensive players due to injuries.

History teaches us that a talented team can bounce back from a season-ending loss. Three years ago, Georgia lost to Alabama in the SEC championship game and won a rematch against the Crimson Tide a month later as Kirby Smart won the first of his two national championships in his sixth season. Class 6, hmm.

Perhaps a better comparison would be the 2017 season. Auburn defeated Alabama in the Iron Bowl, preventing the Tide from reaching the SEC Championship Game. Rested Alabama slipped into the playoffs as a No. 4 seed, then beat Clemson in the semifinals and edged Georgia in the national championship.

Unlike those teams, however, Ohio State must survive four playoff games, not two, and the indelible agony that comes with a loss to Michigan cannot be overstated.

Is Ryan Day nearing his whimpering end or his finest hour?

Day said before this year’s rivalry flop that past losses to Michigan were among the worst moments of his 45 years on earth.

“Other than losing my dad and a few other things, it’s honestly the worst thing that’s happened to my family,” Day told WBNS, a Columbus television station.

Days later, he lost to Michigan for the fourth straight year.

Buckeye seniors like defensive stars Jack Sawyer, Cody Simon, Lathan Ransom and several others remember each of these haunting defeats.

Those losses to Michigan prevented Ohio State from reaching the Big Ten Championship Game in every season since winning the conference title in 2020.

Since the Buckeyes didn’t reach the Big Ten title game, Day said they can’t complain about their seeding, even though they beat No. 6 seed Penn State on the road last month.

A fifth or sixth seed would have given the Buckeyes a cleaner path to the semifinals. Ohio State joins Oregon and No. 2 Georgia as the only teams in the field to have won multiple playoff qualifying games, but the committee showed respect for the teams that reached their conference championship game.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

Leave a Reply Cancel reply