Is Ryan Day on the hot seat? Maybe not, but angst will only grow as Ohio State’s pricey roster falls flat

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Money can cure problems, but sometimes it compounds a man’s underlying stressors with crippling interest.

No. 2 Ohio State paid the price — again — Saturday in its shocking 13-10 loss to unranked Michigan, thrusting the Buckeyes’ Big Ten title hopes into the ether and prompting questions about the direction of a proud program following an unimaginable fourth straight loss in The Game.

The tension was immeasurable inside Ohio Stadium, and sometimes the frustration boiled over among the 106,005 fans to points when Ohio State fans booed their team and coach Ryan Day following coaching miscues, penalties, two costly interceptions and a pair of missed field goals. Then came the show-stopper: Michigan players planting a flag at midfield, which led to Ohio State fans charging the scene with shoving and fisticuffs. Ohio State linebacker Jack Sawyer snagged the flag, ran to his sideline and tossed it away from the crowd as Michigan men gave chase. Police deployed pepper spray to break up the fracas between more than two dozen Buckeyes and Wolverines.

When the pepper spray in the air dissipated, all that remained were tears, anger and unanswerable questions. Both programs will deal with the fallout of the postgame fight, but one question will linger more than most: How can this happen?

How does a program with the most expensive roster in college football (reportedly $20 million in NIL money) lose to a five-loss Michigan team that looked inept most of the season?

The questions mostly drew befuddlement with Day and players offering a variation of an “I don’t know,” a shake of the head and more tears. The College Football Playoff still seems attainable, of course, but the future is suddenly cloudy. This was the perfect roster to…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/is-ryan-day-on-the-hot-seat-maybe-not-but-angst-will-only-grow-as-ohio-states-pricey-roster-falls-flat/

Author : Brandon Marcello

Publish date : 2024-12-01 00:16:00

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