Ohio State Operating in Unfamiliar Territory Under Head Coach Ryan Day

After the Buckeyes got thumped by the USC Trojans last Saturday, they were inevitably going to fall in the rankings. The only question was just how far down they would go.

After the dust settled, the Buckeyes landed as the No. 11 team in the country, which is fair. They are the third-ranked two-loss team behind both the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns.

As things stand right now, the Buckeyes are in complete control of their own destiny and ability to accomplish all of their goals. They have four games to take care of business, but they still have it all in front of them.

The big picture is one thing; the little picture is the other. If it looks bizarre to see the #11 next to Ohio State's name, it's because it has been a long time since their ranking was that low.

It is the first time in 86 consecutive AP Polls that the Buckeyes landed outside the Top-10. The last time they were outside the Top-10 was all the way back on September 26, 2021. 

The 11th rank matches the lowest that the Buckeyes have been under Ryan Day, period. That aforementioned 2021 ranking was the lowest that his team had ever been prior to now. 

Day took this team over as one of the best in all of football, and to his credit, he has kept them there for a very long time. Now, as they continue forward this year, they will hope to climb the ladder back up to one of the top teams in the country.

Everything is still very much in front of the Buckeyes. They come into every season with three goals: 1. Win the Big Ten. 2. Beat Michigan. 3. Win the National Championship.

Through all of the turbulence this season, each one of those three goals is right in front of them. While they are all still possible, that doesn't make them probable. 

The Buckeyes have four incredibly challenging games ahead of them this year. It is a visit from the Oregon Ducks this weekend, Northwestern the weekend after, a trip to a rowdy Lincoln, Nebraska, and then it wraps up with the team up north.

That's four games that the Buckeyes should win, absolutely. However, with the performance that they put out last week against USC, it wouldn't be a surprise if they lost a couple, or even all of them. 

I certainly don't expect that to be the case, but the sense of urgency around the program needs to be at an all-time high. This is, objectively, Ryan Day's worst team in his career and they are in the worst position that they have ever been in. 

Climbing out of it will take a lot of work, and it is all cut out for them heading into the month of November.