It’s in all probability honest to say that Ryan Day is the primary coach in faculty soccer historical past to amass a 61-8 report, but nonetheless have one thing to show. And it’s not simply nationally, however together with his personal intense, and infrequently determined, fan base.
It’s by no means simple succeeding a larger-than-life legend, a invoice that matches City Meyer. So Day knew the challenges that got here from the benefit of getting the keys to the Buckeyes Lamborghini.
He’s been derided as being born on third base by getting Ohio State as his first head teaching job, however he’s a former New Hampshire quarterback who overcame, at age 9, the dying of his father by suicide, to grind his strategy to the highest.
Six seasons in, Day, 45, has succeeded. Effectively, aside from the half the place some folks level extra to these eight losses than these 61 victories.
Day is 1-6 in opposition to groups within the prime 5 of the School Soccer Playoff rankings. He’s 1-3 in opposition to Michigan general, together with losses in every of the final three years. He’s 1-3 within the School Soccer Playoff.
Ohio State has a status for steamrolling weaker opponents. Day has by no means misplaced to an unranked crew and is unbeaten in opposition to each Huge Ten crew that isn’t positioned in Ann Arbor. That’s not nothing.
It even can beat the occasional extremely ranked crew, however the pleasure appears to not final. In 2020 it took down Clemson within the School Soccer Playoff … solely to get blown out by Alabama within the title sport.
Final season it gained late at Notre Dame, which was No. 9 on the time, however nobody was overwhelmingly impressed as a result of the Irish not often win large ones both and Day spent the postgame seemingly difficult Lou Holtz to a battle.
And so, whilst Ohio State (5-0) has blown out Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State and Iowa to the tune of 230-34, there stays doubts each in Columbus and throughout the nation.
Positive, the Buckeyes might be bullies, however can they bully a bully? Can this crew win all of it?
No. 3 Oregon awaits Saturday in Eugene, a seemingly honest battle for the Bucks. It will rely within the race for a Huge Ten title, a playoff berth and playoff seeding. And it’ll rely on the status, each close to and much, of Ryan Day.
“So much is at stake this weekend, which is precisely the way in which we wish it,” Day mentioned.
Nothing will likely be selected Saturday, however it’s honest to look at and surprise. If not this 12 months, then when? If not with this crew, then why not?
The Buckeyes are all the time gifted and Day has confirmed to be each bit the elite recruiter, particularly nationally, that Meyer was. But pretty much as good because the roster all the time seems to be, this 12 months is one thing else.
Throughout the summer season Meyer declared this “may be one of the best roster in faculty soccer within the final decade.” As daring of an announcement as that was, nothing it has proven up to now suggests Meyer is mistaken.
Ohio State adopted the Michigan playbook this 12 months in utilizing NIL cash to encourage NFL-caliber gamers to skip the draft and return to campus for a nationwide title run.
That meant guys akin to operating again TreVeyon Henderson, cornerback Denzel Burke, wideout Emeka Egbuka and defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer — amongst others — all got here again from an 11-1 common season crew.
Then Day hit the switch portal so as to add quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State) and extra operating again depth in Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss).
The Buckeyes’ two finest gamers are literally newcomers — security Caleb Downs, who arrived from Alabama after Nick Saban’s retirement, and true freshman large receiver Jeremiah Smith, who Ohio State beat Miami and Florida State to signal final February.
It’s a wide ranging assortment. Something can occur in Autzen Stadium, however a type of “anythings” is a present of pressure that has the remainder of the nation sitting up and questioning if Ohio State might be overwhelmed. The Buckeyes are 3.5-point favorites.
So Day walks into one other large sport projecting confidence. He likes to say it’s about Ohio State, not who Ohio State is taking part in. Internally, he’s probably right. Externally although?
“I feel you all the time attempt to ensure you determine the issues that match the crew,” Day mentioned. “You already know, hastily you do not simply change as a result of it is a quote-unquote large sport. They’re all large.
“If we are saying it is about us on a regular basis, then it is about us within the video games like this, which it’s. So we will proceed with the identical routine.”
Ryan Day has finished a terrific job at Ohio State, simply not nice sufficient for some. On Saturday, he’s bought the stage to start to show himself able to reaching that ultimate degree.
He’s definitely bought the crew to get there.
