Ohio State took a painful hit in Austin against Texas, but inside the locker room, the real fire started online. A freshman, who expected big roles, spent most of the night watching from the sidelines. Running back Legend Bey made sure everyone knew he was furious with head coach Ryan Day after barely touching the ball.

The freshman running back, who had already shown Buckeye fans what he could do in the season opener, got just one offensive snap against the Longhorns. He got the ball on that lone play, but the run went nowhere. Bey apparently had something to say to head coach Ryan Day about it.

Following Ohio State’s stunning 24-23 collapse against Texas, Bey posted “Free Deuce” on his TikTok Story, according to CFB Alerts. It did not take long for Buckeye fans to connect the dots, knowing the freshman had just watched most of a huge game from the sideline.

This lack of usage came as a surprise, considering Bey had entered the season with plenty of hype. He was ranked between the No. 4 and No. 6 athletes in the entire country. Ohio State originally planned to use him in multiple ways after recruiting him as a dynamic utility athlete, and Ryan Day even named him the team’s opening-game kick returner.

Bey showed exactly why there was so much excitement around him during the season opener against Ball State.

During that debut, he registered about 74 total yards on just 8 touches. The freshman also turned one of those opportunities into an explosive 25-yard touchdown, a performance he believed would earn him a significant role in Week 2.

Instead, as Ohio State watched its massive lead slip away in Austin, the offense became increasingly conservative.

Ryan Day had no choice but to lean heavily on their veteran options, sticking with star back Bo Jackson and others like Jakobi Jackson, even though they only managed to rush for 23 yards in the entire second half.

Day’s decision to bench Bey wasn’t an accident or a sudden injury, but rather a classic coaching move in high-stakes games where ball security and pass protection take top priority. In tight, high-pressure matchups against top-tier teams, Day almost always trusts his senior running backs who know the playbook inside out, leaving young freshmen on the bench regardless of their raw talent.

While Bey saw plenty of action in the easy Week 1 blowout, this pattern of freezing out rookies during intense top-10 battles is standard operating procedure for Day’s program, leaving young stars frustrated when the game plan tightens up.

According to Ohio State’s official snap counts, Bey logged 10 plays on special teams but was given just one single snap on offense against Texas.

To make matters worse, Bey wasn’t the only freshman complaining online. Another four-star newcomer, wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford, posted a warm-up photo with the caption, “ain s** to say, free6.” It immediately looked like a coordinated social media protest, making fans worry that the younger players were already turning on the coaching staff.

The aftermath of the social media stir has been incredibly messy in Columbus. Ryan Day openly called the loss “maddening” and admitted that the vibe around the team facility has “not been fun” this week.

The fan backlash has gotten so toxic and hostile that local law enforcement actually had to start monitoring Ryan Day’s house because of online threats made against his family. On top of the locker room tension, the team also took a major hit in the standings, dropping from the No. 1 spot to No. 6 in the country.

Looking ahead, the Buckeyes are desperate for a massive bounce-back performance. They enter this week as huge 52.5-point favorites against Kent State, which is exactly the kind of blowout matchup where backup players get tons of field time. Everyone expects Ryan Day to heavily rotate his young talent on Saturday, meaning Deuce Bey will almost certainly get the exact snaps and touches he was publicly begging for.