Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State's Ryan Day saga: Persistent disappointment in big games

By Victor Haltom | Last updated 10/15/24

Days before the much-anticipated matchup in Eugene, Ore. between the highly ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and Oregon Ducks, ESPN's Greg McElroy forecasted a convincing OSU victory based on what he characterized as its "vastly superior roster."

McElroy's prognostication turned out to be unprophetic.

Much to the chagrin of Buckeyes supporters, the Ducks squeaked out a dramatic win that came down to the game's last play. The enraged Ohio State fanbase is casting blame, mostly at OSU coach Ryan Day.

Day is in his sixth season at the helm for Ohio State. He has delivered double-digit wins every year except the COVID-shortened campaign in 2020. However, Days' teams, invariably ranked highly, have fared poorly against elite opposition, mustering a record of only 2-6 against teams ranked in the top 5.

Week 7 Takeaways!!

- Dan Lanning gets his signature win
- Ryan Day falls to 2-6 vs. top-5 teams
- Is Vandy America's team??
- This Big 12 race is going to be wild

and lots more: https://t.co/943C4nLbdo
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 13, 2024

Here are the specifics of the Buckeyes' track record against top 5 teams in the Day era:

Date	Opponent	Opp. Rank	Result
Dec. 28, 2019	Clemson Tigers	3	L: 29-23
Jan. 1, 2021	Clemson Tigers	2	W: 49-28
Jan. 11. 2021	Alabama Crimson Tide	1	L: 52-24
Sept. 3, 2022	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	5	W: 21-10
Nov. 26, 2022	Michigan Wolverines	3	L: 45-23
Dec. 31, 2022	Georgia Bulldogs	1	L: 42-41
Nov. 25, 2023	Michigan Wolverines	3	L: 30-24
Oct. 12, 2024	Oregon Ducks	3	L: 32-31

"Day seems allergic to winning games that actually matter," CBS Sports' Will Backus wrote following Saturday's defeat. "He is college football's biggest underachiever."

The game against Oregon afforded the Buckeyes an opportunity to show their championship mettle and dispel prevalent "concerns about losing big games under Day." Instead, Ohio State is left to hunt for solutions to the problems that, per The Athletic, "have plagued the program[,]" most notably the inability to "make the right play[s] in the biggest moments[.]"

Against the Ducks, the Buckeyes squandered opportunities at critical points in the game.

IT'S OVER.

NO. 3 OREGON TOPPLES NO. 2 OHIO STATE IN EUGENE. WHAT A GAME. pic.twitter.com/pzrROxapap
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 13, 2024

Whether the blame for the Buckeyes' persistent failures in the biggest of games should be allocated to Day is a subjective matter on which conscientious observers may have differing opinions. However, one thing is clear: the patience of the Ohio State fanbase with Day is running out.

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