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Ohio State AD comments on Ryan Day’s future following another Michigan loss
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Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork told The Columbus Dispatch’s Bill Rabinowitz on Sunday that head coach Ryan Day still has his full support.
The Buckeyes lost at home to Michigan 13-10 on Saturday — a fourth consecutive defeat in the rivalry series under day. That result also slammed the door to the Big Ten Championship Game shut on the Buckeyes. Instead of a chance to avenge the loss to Oregon and earn a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State will wait to see who it faces in the first round.
Big picture, Ohio State is still very much alive in the national championship picture. But the series with Michigan was one that Ohio State dominated before Day arrived. From 2004-18, Ohio State went 14-1 against the Wolverines. The current 4-game losing streak is the longest for Ohio State since 1988-91.
This season was about winning a national championship, but it was just as much about beating Michigan.
In the face of arguably the most embarrassing loss in the quartet, fans have called for Day’s job.
On Sunday, Bjork told The Dispatch that Day is “our coach” and his current focus is on making a run in the CFP.
“Our full focus right now is on the College Football Playoff and making a strong run,” Bjork told the paper. “We have a ton to play for. We have a great team made up of talented players and great young men. Coach Day does a great job leading our program. He’s our coach.”
Bjork took over as the Ohio State AD for Gene Smith back in July. He told The Dispatch he’s pleased with the academic performance of the football team and the recruiting job the coaching staff has done.
“Our program is built to last, and Coach Day has done that,” Bjork said. “He has put us in a great spot.”
Day is 66-10 as a head coach. Since taking over full-time in 2019, he is 45-5 against the Big Ten. This year marked the first time under Day that Ohio State suffered multiple conference losses in a season.
The bar is extremely high in Columbus, but Day knew that when he took the job. And he once again acknowledged it on Saturday.
A deep Playoff run can calm the waters. But, according to Bjork, they’re not all that choppy to begin with.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
