On Eating Crow When I’m Wrong
Ohio State has now secured three National Championships under three coaches during same span Notre Dame has failed to earn one under five coaches.
I think it is important on a personal level and professionally to admit when I am wrong. It teaches my kids about the importance of saying sorry. It highlights how important accountability is to a functioning relationship, family, community, and country. More importantly, it is good for the soul. Over the last few months, I’ve been hounding a particular person for his failings. I had the facts on my side. The facts are no longer on my side. Thus, I need to eat a big helping of crow.
Here goes it:
Coach Ryan Day: I am deeply sorry for being so critical of you. Your past inability to beat Michigan and win bowl games was only one metric of your success. After watching Ohio State over the last four weeks—not just on the gridiron, but also after games in interviews, on the sidelines, and on social media, it is clear you have molded these young men—some from troubled upbringings—into being strong, resilient men of faith and character. I first saw this AFTER the frustrating Michigan defeat when Jack Sawyer protected the core of our turf. Who wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with that man? I would. You also coached them through the absolute most difficult four week football schedule in the history of college football with games against four top ranked teams, with two over teams from the “best conference in football” SEC. After crushing #9 Tennessee 42-17 and #1 Oregon 41-21, you took the boys to the Cotton Bowl for a virtual home game against #5 Texas where you thumped them 28-14. In the National Championship last night, you led the Buckeyes to a sound defeat of #7 Notre Dame where the Buckeyes outgained the Irish 445 yards to 308 yards. The score made it look closer than it was. With that win, Ohio State beat six of the eleven other teams in the College Football Playoff. No team can claim such a strong record. With the win, you are now 5-5 in bowl games. Perhaps Michigan is just your white whale. We all have one. Unlike many Ohio State fans, I’ll take a National Championship over a Michigan win (blasphemy, I know). At any rate, I am sorry for being so critical and urging for your termination. You’ve now earned the right to coach at Ohio State for as long as you want without armchair coaches like me throwing bricks at you.
I will repeat this apology on air with Bruce Hooley on his show later this week if he allows me.
Ohio State fans should feel very thankful for the bountiful success we’ve had over the last twenty-five years. We’ve now secured three National Championships under three coaches. From 2001 to 2025, Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer, and Ryan Day each won a National Championship. Image being a Notre Dame fan (sorry, brother Carl (Class of 1989 and student when Notre Dame last won a natty) and nephew Jack (Class of 2027)) which has now gone thirty-seven years without a National Championship despite all of the advantages it has with its own television network, enormous fan base, and the luck of the Irish. In the same span that three out of three Ohio State coaches have won a natty, Notre Dame has had five different coaches all fail to win a National Championship. That said, I absolutely love Marcus Freeman and think that he has what it takes to get Notre Dame back to the Promised Land. Freeman is a class act (and former Buckeye), so I won’t mind seeing him succeed at Notre Dame as long as it doesn’t involve breaking the eight-nine year winning streak and 7-0 record since 1995 that Ohio State has over Notre Dame.
The Big Ten Conference has now won two straight National Championships. In the NIL and transfer portal era, that makes the Big Ten the best conference in college football. Maybe Shane Gillis was more right than he realized when he said Alabama and Georgia aren’t so dominant now that everyone can pay players:-)
I don’t know about you, but January 20th ended up being an amazing day all around. Go Bucks! Go America!!!