Buckeyes' Ryan Day Owns the Disappointment, Vows to Correct It on Saturday

It's been an uncomfortable couple of days around the Ohio State Buckeyes program after the beatdown at the hands of the Oregon Ducks. First of all, the loss is heavy enough, but then the fallout is never fun.

There have been uncomfortable conversations, firings, and a very clear threat that if some of these things do not get fixed, more heads will roll. The players and coaches all know the assignment and will hopefully respond accordingly.

The head man isn't pointing fingers at anyone other than themselves. During Tuesday's press conference ahead of the Northwestern game, he was asked if the struggles were a result of the NIL era and rosters evening out.

He immediately shut it down and said that if he got up on the podium and passed out blame and made excuses, it would be "ridiculous." He continued further by saying that the standard at Ohio State is very high but it is the standard and that the Buckeyes just have to get it fixed. It falls on their backs to do it. 

He finished his statement by saying that they are working towards it and they are going to take it all out in a win against Northwestern.

It was a really good answer by Day who is having the worst season of his career and there is nothing to point to it changing in the last three games. None of these three are easy as they welcome in the upstart Wildcats to their stadium before a really tough trip to Lincoln before The Game at the end of November. 

These are no easy tests left for Ohio State, and they have to finish this season out for themselves. This year feels like a lost one, but they are not totally dead. All that they can do is win the rest of the games and then hope for the best with the rest of the teams in front of them, specifically in the Big Ten.

There is still a path for them to get to the playoffs, but it would require them to win out, which isn't a guarantee, and then a whole lot of help around them. Can it happen? Sure. But it will be incredibly challenging for them to get it all done. 

That is not going to stop them from putting in the work. They have the opportunity infront of them to get back in the win column on Saturday. No one feels bad about them; they can't run from anything. They just have to be ready for the fight that is directly in front of them, and that is the Northwester Wildcats.