Ohio State has earned back-to-back losses to Michigan the past two seasons. Coupled with a loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff, and lot of Ohio State fans became unhappy. So unhappy that some called for the Buckeyes to fire head coach Ryan Day.
Fans are upset about how Michigan has suddenly become the team to beat in the Big Ten.
But if you think that Day is about to be replaced? Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has news: He’s not.
Smith gave Day full support as head coach and called him his “CEO.” But he does admit that the team needs to do better.
“My standards are high; our team standards are high,” Smith said via ESPN. “So we talk about how do we get better and how do we make sure we are able to win the championships that we aspire to win? We look at each individual contest that got in the way of that, and we’re trying to figure out what’s the strategy to mitigate that. When we lose, it’s highly disappointing, but I break things down and look at things objectively, and we have good conversations about what we need to do better.”
It’s been almost a decade since Ohio State won a National Championship. While they have been the premier team in the Big Ten for years, Michigan’s reemergence as a powerhouse has made the league more competitive again.
But if Ohio State wants to regain its crown, some changes will have to be made. Smith said he and Day have already discussed what needs to happen for the Buckeyes to get better.
“His thought process about possibly giving up playcalling, he shared that with me without me ever asking that question,” Smith said. “When we hired him, I told him, ‘You’ve got to stay in your wheelhouse and call plays. There’ll be a natural point in time in your career where that changes.’ So that’s not for me to decide; that’s for him to decide.”
Day’s overall record is a glossy 45-6. But he is 1-3 in the past few years in the College Football Playoff and 1-2 against rival Michigan. Day may be safe for now, but lose to Michigan three years in a row? And mis the CFP next season? That seat may get hotter.
{ESPN}
