It's been well-reported by now that the Oregon Ducks were without star edge rusher Jordan Burch in their last meeting with Ohio State. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day's recent comments make it seem like he might not have been aware of that.

Speaking with the media, Day made a statement that raised some eyebrows. 

Ryan Day on the Oregon rematch:

"Both teams are in different places than we were last time, but the players are the same … Two very different teams heading into this game, and the team who prepares the best is going to win."

— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) December 23, 2024

The players are the same? Coach. No.

Jordan Burch wasn't available in the last game, and the Ducks were still able to pull out the victory despite missing arguably their best player on the defensive side of the ball. 

Day isn't even correct about his own team. The Buckeyes have lost multiple starters, especially across the offensive line, since their last meeting.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning clearly believes Burch is a player capable of making a big impact in the Rose Bowl, with his latest comments showing just how highly he thinks of Burch.

"I think just his size and athleticism. God doesn't make a lot of people that look like Jordan Burch," Lanning said when speaking with the media. "I think when people see him, they're always surprised to hear that he's almost 300 pounds, because he looks really good at his size. But he plays like a beast on the field. Relentless effort and the fact that we have great depth and several guys that can play edge positions for us, it allows us to make sure that when he's on the field, he's fresh. And a fresh Jordan Burch is really dangerous."

Burch is a hyper-athletic defensive end at 6'6" 298 lbs. He's strong, he's explosive, he's agile, and he can change direction like someone much smaller than he is — so much so that Lanning called a fake punt to get the ball in the hands of his defensive end from their own 22-yard line. 

Day's comments, if they really are showing a lack of awareness about Burch's presence on the field, should be quite alarming for Buckeyes fans. 

Ohio State’s Ryan Day points to one key for Rose Bowl that could actually be an advantage for Oregon

He probably didn’t mean it like that.

Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.