Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is determined to etch his name in the national championship record books when he faces Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
It’s been quite a controversy-filled season for Day since a bitter Michigan loss faded all his progress. Several experts believe this result is looming over Ohio State’s natty hopes, but Pete Thamel believes a huge victory on Monday night could turn the tables for Day and his team.
Ryan Day To Remain Unfazed in National Championship Matchup
With a 13-2 record and a massive Cotton Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoff semifinals, the Buckeyes punched a national championship ticket.
It was under Urban Meyer in 2014 that the Buckeyes last had the luxury of lifting the golden trophy. After 10 years, Day will look to end this drought with a win and potentially rub off his Michigan loss trauma forever.
“Winning championships changes everything. It just changes everything. I don’t think that Michigan loss is going to loom over a championship,” Thamel said via the ESPN College GameDay podcast this week.
“I think the only people who think that are the people in maize and blue clinging to that, because they’ve watched their rival march towards a championship, much like [Ohio State] did last season. … Will there be pressure next November when Ohio State plays Michigan? Sure. Absolutely, there will be. That will hang over,” he added.
Thamel mentioned that winning the game could be decisive for Day in many ways because there have been rumors surrounding his job security. Fans have even shouted obscenities towards Day at home games.
Nevertheless, the narrative could forever change with this win, and he could reinstate his prominence as one of the top five consistent coaches in the country.
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Entering the national championship game, the Buckeyes are a 9.5-point favorite over the No. 7-seeded Fighting Irish. Notre Dame has surprised several in the football fraternity, with each bowl victory coming in as if the magician was pulling rabbits out of the hat.
As an underdog, the Irish possess great ability to convert the games in clutch moments. Even though Day enters the matchup as a clear favorite, Freeman’s psyche and play-calling could prove decisive.
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