Ohio State gives Tennessee loser Ryan Day a new catchphrase The Buckeyes didn’t suffer from a hangover after losing to Michigan. Instead, they come back defiant and stronger. Ryan Day and his staff had a great plan against the Vols. Will Howard executed it perfectly.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An explosion within Ohio State reached its climax when Ohio State senior leader Jack Sawyer pulled his coach close to offer a few words of congratulations.
Two weeks after the most embarrassing loss of his career, Sawyer told Ryan Day, “‘all day long,'” as the Buckeyes coach made a stunning comeback.
Sawyer does not claim ownership of this phrase. He credits Ohio State media relations manager Jerry Emig with first using the tool days before the Buckeyes beat Tennessee 42-17 in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday. .
“I like that,” Sawyer recalled hearing Emig uncork the line.
Sawyer wants to make it stick. Ohio State’s performance against Tennessee made that possible.
“I’m always willing to go to war with him,” Sawyer said of his embattled coach. “…I would commit to him hundreds of times if I could. This is a big win for him.”
Maybe he thought Day was over after another loss to the University of Michigan. That crushing defeat exposed Day to the harshest criticism he had ever faced.
Would Ohio State really fire a coach who wins nearly 90% of his games and will pay a $37 million buyout? The question began when the Wolverines planted a flag inside the “O” at midfield.
All it took was a look at Saturday’s crowd to be reminded of how some Buckeyes fans feel about Day. They were no-shows. An Ohio State fan posted the ticket on a resale site, and die-hard Vols fans gobbled it up. Tens of thousands of fans came to the stadium wearing orange, creating a surreal environment. Tennessee fans even invaded the Ohio State team hotel before the game.
Vols fans were loud at the bar and at the tailgate, raising their voices during Ohio State’s first drive, which inspired a false start penalty.
The orange background was set for Day to come out with a thud. Instead, he yelled back. Ohio State’s players had the backing of a coach with an .870 winning percentage.
Two plays after an early false start, Jeremiah Smith took a beautiful pass from quarterback Will Howard and celebrated in the end zone.
The Buckeyes continued to attack, scoring touchdowns on their first three drives. In addition to ejecting Tennessee State fans early, Ohio State fans who booed the team two weeks ago mockingly chanted “SEC!” Sec! ” in the final seconds of this victory.
“I thought they were going to take over this place,” Howard said of the Vols fans. “And we showed them right away that we would not tolerate that.”
Will this College Football Playoff be a big moment for Ryan Day?
Afterward, CFP Executive Director Rich Clark presented Day with a commemorative game ball. Day wore a tight-lipped expression as she posed for a photo next to Clark. The players were all smiles and full of satisfaction.
“I love that coach to death. That’s my coach,” senior defensive end JT Tuimoloau said. “The best coach in the country”
OK, that last part sounds like an exaggeration.
Kirby Smart owns two national titles by Day Zero, and Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs are closing in on the other side of the playoff bracket. Smart defeated Day in the playoffs two years ago. Day also went 0-1 against Oregon State phenom Dan Lanning, who he would face again in the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.
However, Smart is the only player left in this bracket who won a national championship as a head coach, so it’s entirely expected that someone will win their first national title this season.
Why not the coach with the most talented roster in the country?
“He’s the best coach in the country, in my eyes, and wins like this prove that,” Sawyer said.
Ohio State’s Will Howard enjoys game plan against Tennessee
Credit to the Ohio State staff for executing one of the most aggressive game plans of the season against Tennessee. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly blamed the disastrous game against Michigan. He bounced back with a brilliant plan to attack a Tennessee defense that had stymied many opponents.
The Buckeyes boast a receiving core that is the envy of college football coaches nationally and internationally, and Kelly positioned quarterback Howard to perform even on a 25-degree night.
Howard, a Pennsylvania native, is used to throwing pigskin in the cold and had 311 yards, Tennessee’s second-highest total of the season.
“In this game, we were able to maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses,” Day said.
As Sawyer said, the loss to Michigan “was bad.” It was a heartbreaking result for the team and its coaches, but it didn’t kill the Buckeyes.
“We’re a real team and we can handle adversity,” linebacker Cody Simon said. “I’m very proud of our players because it’s not easy to go through a loss like that.”
However, it becomes a little easier when you have people to rally around. The Buckeyes did just that.
Have a day, Buckeyes. Have a great day!
Blake Topmeyer is a national college football columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow us at X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.
