History says that ever since Penn State officially joined the Big Ten Conference in 1993, Ohio State has continued to dominate over the Nittany Lions. Ever since that year, the Buckeyes now hold a record of 23-8 along with a current win streak of seven games. But looks like Ryan Day’s program is not at all enjoying its peak.

Rather, it has now “broken” with different cracks here and there. That’s the best opportunity for Penn State to go on a scout mission and attack the weak areas. Well, while Day was supposed to be at power with $20 million in his pocket, it’s the Nittany Lions who have a big advantage this season!

Ryan Day and his $20 million conundrum 

Well at the end of the day, no one cares about the record and the streak right? They only see whether you have a national championship feather in your hat. Going by the record, Day’s squad in the 50 past seasons has 14 more wins as compared to other college football programs. But do you know it has been 10 years since they haven’t won a national championship? However, that shouldn’t have been the case after donor-led collectives and brand affiliates paid “around $20 million” to Day’s program. But somehow the Buckeyes HC failed to reel in the best talent using the money. That’s what Lombardi Award-winning offensive guard Aaron Taylor had to say about the program, “It’s an embarrassment of riches that aren’t being taken advantage of for Ohio State.”

He came to a conclusion stating, “Something is broken seemingly hard with that team.” Day’s offensive line is in a mess. Their left tackle Josh Simmons had a season-ending knee injury while facing off against Oregon Ducks on October 12. Plus Day is likely to make a risky move by moving guard Donovan Jackson to tackle while pinning hopes on sophomore Luke Montgomery for the left guard position. Now let’s take the help of stats to get a better understanding of how loose is the ground under the Ohio State HC’s feet.  

A look into how deep the water that Ryan Day has landed in 

In such a crucial time, Simmons was the one who had kept the Buckeyes boat afloat. Analyst Rece Davis got his hands on some crucial numbers. “In games against Power Four opponents this year, when Josh Simmons has been on the field, Ohio State has run the ball 79 times,” pointed out the analyst. Their average went as high as six yards per carry and came with five rushing touchdowns. Now that Simmons is away from the gridiron, the Buckeyes’ numbers have drooped to “two yards per carry.” It exposed Ohio State’s condition. But a program can’t be run by only one player, right?

But again, being a Buckeyes fan, you must have gotten enough hints when Day’s squad had to struggle to secure a win against someone not so powerful as Matt Rhule’s Nebraska Cornhuskers. And here comes the worst part: James Franklin’s Penn State is at a much better place than the Huskers. While they are yet to defeat Ohio State after 2016, coming off 1-11 against their Big Ten rival, Franklin and boys remain undefeated this season, proudly owning a 7-0 streak. The Yahoo Sports analyst Jason Fitz gave a glimpse of Ryan Day’s present state.

“You’re backed up against the wall. You have to win this game. You go to two losses. Now, all of a sudden, you no longer control any. You go to two losses. You are not going to be in the Big 10 championship game. I think there’s a ton of pressure in this match up.” Buckle up, Penn State, you are not going to get this golden opportunity ever again!