The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a perplexing season, and after being upset by the Michigan Wolverines in the regular-season finale, some fans were left wondering if they actually belonged in the College Football Playoff at all.
But Ohio State’s lows have been followed by remarkable highs, and today, the Buckeyes look untouchable. They just got done dominating the formerly undefeated Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals and now stand as a potential favorite to win the national title.
Ryan Day Reminisces on Discovering Quinn Ewers
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is one of the more controversial coaches in college football. Though the Buckeyes have enjoyed success under his leadership, they’ve failed to step up at crucial moments, especially against their rival Michigan. In fact, their humiliating loss at the end of the regular season sparked calls for Day to be fired. Yet, their success in the CFP has raised his stock.
Now, as the Buckeyes prepare to face the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, Day will be up against a quarterback who started his career with his team — Quinn Ewers.
This past Friday, Day spoke to reporters about pitching to Ewers while he was in eighth grade.
“I saw a young boy at the time who just had a tremendous release,” Day said. “I remember grabbing him and grabbing his dad and said, ‘Man, you’ve got a bright future ahead of you. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but we’re going to offer you a scholarship to Ohio State.’”
Day admitted he was sad when Ewers transferred to Texas and confessed that he didn’t want to see him leave, but he never doubted that he would become a special player.
“He always had a great attitude. You could see the talent. Certainly, didn’t want to see him leave, but we knew he was going to be a special player,” Day said. “He’s had a great career at Texas. A lot of people here still have good relationships with him and think the world of him.”
Day Scores Huge Bonus for Leading Ohio State to Playoff Semifinals
Day’s postseason success with the Buckeyes has shown just how much he was disrespected during the regular season. Fans cried out for the head coach to be fired despite having just two losses. But now, Ohio State looks like a team that can’t be beaten, and who else do we give credit to except Coach Day?
The Buckeyes have won both games to this point in the College Football Playoff, knocking off the Tennessee Volunteers and the top-seeded Ducks, respectively, to get to the semifinals.
With two more wins, Ohio State will have their first national title in 10 years. As a reward for his work so far, Day has been given a $350,000 bonus, with the chance of earning more.
If the Buckeyes defeat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, Day will see another $500,000, as well as $1 million if Ohio State wins the CFP National Championship. From the looks of things, the odds of the Buckeyes winning it all seem high; if they do, Day’s redemption will be complete.
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