Who is to blame for Ohio State’s tough National Championship path? Despite missing out on the Big Ten championship game, Ryan Day and the Buckeye made it to the first 12-team playoffs as the No. 8 seed. With their seeding, they’ll host No. 9 Tennessee at The Shoe. But despite the home-field advantage that they’ll have, the Buckeyes have more to worry about than celebrate with their seeding. Because either a win or loss against the Volunteers will give rise to a new dilemma 

Something that Ryan Day said ahead of the first CFP round didn’t sit well with an Ohio State alum who is also a CFB insider. In an X post on December 16, Official Ohio State DG uploaded an excerpt of the Buckeyes HC addressing the media with the caption, “Ryan Day – The goal all along was to make the 12-team playoff, The Big 10 changed and we took on injuries. I’m sick.” Day also added, “Along the way, there’s been some challenges. The Big Ten changed. We had three top 5 games this year, two on the road. And we took on some injuries.”

The ultimate goal is to clinch a playoff berth. Perhaps Ryan Day already forecasted the future because, with where they are, Ohio State’s chances for a natty are very slim. The Buckeyes’ seeding is positioned in such a way that if they beat Tennessee in the first playoff round, they’ll advance to the quarterfinals against the No. 1 seed in the playoffs—their Big Ten arch nemesis Oregon. Dan Lanning and the Ducks are the only other team besides Michigan who defeated OSU this season. 

Day added, “So along the way this year, there’s been twists and turns. Some things that went well, some things obviously would like to have back but you gotta learn from those. You’re gonna make adjustments.” They’d better. But as he mentioned, along with their strength of schedule, Ohio State suffered as they lost star players due to season-ending injuries, including Seth McLaughlin, Josh Simmons, and Timothy Caffey. But this time, Ryan Day needs to dream beyond just getting a chance to play in the playoffs.

Ryan Day should aim for the national championship title 

Ohio State fans are going to have Ryan Day’s head if he loses to Josh Heupel and Tennessee in the first CFP playoff round. This year’s national championship title should hype the Buckeyes, especially their HC, who’s yet to win a natty. Six seasons at Ohio State, and Day is yet to win his first national title. If you only view Day’s HC record in Columbus, it aligns with the hefty annual salary of over $10 million. 

But the problem for Ryan Day is that it’s always so close yet so far. The 45-year-old coach’s misfortune is that he always gets close to the big win, but last-moment upsets always derail the Buckeyes’ big dreams. It feels like he’s destined to never quite conquer Michigan, especially after his strong start as Ohio State’s head coach. How else can you explain a 66-10 overall record since 2019? 

The best thing Ohio State can do right now is take one game at a time. The pressure is real. For Ryan Day, December 21st will be his first step towards salvaging his career in Columbus.