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One game matters more than all others at Ohio State, but losing again to Michigan doesn’t necessarily place coach Ryan Day on the hot seat during the 2024 season.
Day has done everything but win a national title for the Buckeyes, compiling a 56-8 record to go along with two Big Ten championships, but “The Game” against Michigan hovers over him like a dark cloud heading into his sixth season. Three straight losses to the Wolverines, the defending national champions, have sparked conversation in the cynical corners of the sport. Perhaps, they say, Day should be on the hot seat this fall.
“We know the expectations, we know it’s there, but we got 11 games, and then we’ve got to play that one, and then there’s going to be a bigger prize after that we’re going to shoot for,” Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork told CBS Sports. “So I think you just you have to recognize it, you’re not going to shy away from it.”
No one argues Ohio State is shying away from “The Game,” its importance or what it means to the Buckeyes faithful. Bragging rights are fine for the locals around the water cooler, yes, but more important is what’s at stake: the regular-season finale has more often determined whether the Buckeyes play for a Big Ten title. Michigan has won the last three (with as many Big Ten titles), and dotted Ohio State’s eye with salt by winning the national title in January.
Meanwhile, Ohio State has shared more in common with Penn State than the Buckeyes of old, falling short of sky-high expectations while watching their rival hang banners. It seems silly to argue a coach with only four regular-season losses to two opponents (Michigan and Big Ten newcomer Oregon) is on the cusp of losing his job, but rivalries steer expectations into strange lands….
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/is-ryan-day-really-on-the-hot-seat-ohio-states-lofty-goals-for-2024-season-go-beyond-ending-michigan-skid/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2024-08-19 17:46:47
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