Former NFL WR’s strong statement about Ryan Day intensifies pressure on Ohio State before playoff game against Tennessee
All of the pressure is on Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day ahead of his team's showdown with the Tennessee Vols in the first round of the College Football Playoff. And a win against Tennessee on Saturday night in Columbus won't necessarily take the pressure off of Day. Day is hearing plenty of noise […]
All of the pressure is on Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day ahead of his team's showdown with the Tennessee Vols in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
And a win against Tennessee on Saturday night in Columbus won't necessarily take the pressure off of Day.
Day is hearing plenty of noise in the aftermath of Ohio State's surprising loss to a middling Michigan Wolverines team last month.
The loss to Michigan — Ohio State's fourth straight to the Wolverines — has cast a dark cloud over the program as the Buckeyes prepare for their playoff game against the Vols.
And there are plenty of fans and media who think that winning the national championship is the only way that Day can erase the stain of the loss to Michigan.
"I feel like Ryan Day has to win a national championship to save his job," said former NFL wide receiver/ESPN analyst Harry Douglas on Thursday. "When you lose to Michigan four years in a row, but you also lose to Sherrone Moore in a year that your roster is way better than the University of Michigan, you have to win a national championship. That's one of the dark clouds that's over his head right now. He hasn't been able to do that."
A win against Tennessee at home in the first round of the playoff isn't going to be enough to silence Day's critics. If the Buckeyes win on Saturday night, then the attention will immediately shift to another must-win game against Oregon. There will be no escape from the noise for Day and the Buckeyes.
The Vols, meanwhile, are facing minimal pressure. Tennessee's players and coaches, of course, badly want to beat Ohio State so they can keep their season going. But they aren't worried about facing any outside noise or criticism if they lose to the Buckeyes. The Vols' 2024 season will be remembered fondly regardless of what happens on Saturday night in Columbus.
Will the pressure make a difference in the outcome of the game?
I guess we'll see on Saturday night. But I think most folks would agree that playing loose and free without any pressure is the better situation to be in for any team competing in the College Football Playoff.
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