It took one half of football against Michigan for Ohio State fans to be infuriated with coach Ryan Day.
Facing a fourth-and-2 at the Michigan 34-yard line with over 30 seconds left on the clock and a timeout in his pocket, Day opted to run the clock down and kick the field goal, a decision that left Ohio State fans furious.
Buckeyes fans simply could not believe how conservative Day played the situation.
Cannot believe Ryan Day ran out the second half clock to attempt a 52-yard FG.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 25, 2023
One team is playing to win. That team is winning.
Ryan Day burned 39 full seconds to set up a missed field goal that would have turned a one-score game into a one-score game. I don't understand.
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) November 25, 2023
alright now we can say it. Ryan Day wtf man. Settling for a 52 yard FG?????
— Football Chopz (@Pchopz_) November 25, 2023
some awfully cowardly coaching from Ryan Day
— Jordan Zirm (@JordanZirm) November 25, 2023
To make matters worse for Day and the Buckeyes, kicker Jayden Fielding missed the 52-yard attempt. Now, there's no guarantee that Day wouldn't have attempted a kick anyway had he gone for it on the 4th down play in question. But at least he could have tried to get the Buckeyes a bit closer to make the kick easier for Fielding.
Instead, Day opted to play it safe. And it wasn’t even the first time he made a conservative play call in the first half, as he punted on a fourth-and-1 on the Ohio State 46-yard line. Day’s decision-making has Buckeyes fans bringing up the definition of insanity.
Definition of insanity is Ryan Day game management. Every single week
— Clevta (@Clevta) November 25, 2023
With the second half underway, Ohio State fans will have to hope that a more aggressive Day shows up in the second half. Otherwise, the Buckeyes may be on the losing end of The Game for the third year in a row.
