Big Ten Daily (Dec. 30): Ryan Day Catches Heat After Ohio State Falls To Missouri
No, that actually wasn't your alarm clock waking you up at the crack of dawn. The loud screeching you heard this morning was the sound of a large contingency of college football fans blasting Ryan Day for Ohio State's performance in Friday night's Cotton Bowl.
The Buckeyes managed just a field goal in a 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl Classic. It was, by far, the worst offensive showing for Ohio State in the Day era.
Many took to social media after the performance, calling for Ohio State to move on from Day. Friday's effort, paired with three straight losses to Michigan, seems to be the breaking point for a lot of folks in Columbus.
Day understands the frustration.
"It hurts to finish the season like this with two losses," Day said after the game, per Eleven Warriors. "That’s not good enough at Ohio State, and we all know that.”
Because of the high standards at Ohio State, it's fair to label the 2023 season as a disappointment. The goal — each and every year — is to beat Michigan, win the Big Ten and compete for a national championship. The Buckeyes have fallen short of those expectations each of the last three seasons.
Day certainly deserves criticism, too. With the amount of talent on Ohio State's roster, an output of just three points is borderline unacceptable.
However, let's not entirely dismiss the fact that Ohio State played most of the game with third-string quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, due to Kyle McCord's transfer and a Devin Brown injury early in the contest.
Plus, Heisman Trophy finalist and star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. opted out of the game. So, while the Buckeyes still had plenty of talent on the field, there were some pretty big pieces missing.
But Day didn't hide behind excuses on Friday night. When asked about potential staff changes, he didn't shy away from answering the question.
“Fresh off the game, it’s hard for me to process all of it right now," he said. "But we have to figure out what’s best for the team moving forward, and that’s in a lot of areas. We have to take a hard look at (that stuff) and get that figured out. Everything will be looked at.”
It sounds crazy to hear that comment after an 11-2 season. But at a place like Ohio State, there is no lowering the expectation.
Day is going to be forced to make some sort of alterations this offseason. If not, the chatter in Columbus is going to get even louder.
Michigan Drops Below .500
Michigan's basketball team made the wrong kind of history on Friday night. The Wolverines closed out the nonconference schedule on a rough note, dropping an 87-76 decision to McNeese.
It marked the first time in McNeese's history that it had ever beaten a Big Ten program.
The Wolverines have now lost two home games to mid-major programs this season. In mid-November, Michigan lost a 94-86 contest to Long Beach State. Overall, Juwan Howard's team owns a 6-7 record as it prepares to enter Big Ten play.
Two months into the season, Michigan sits below .500 and doesn't have a signature win on the resumé. It's beginning to look more and more like the Wolverines will be a bottom-feeder in the Big Ten.
It's not the best sign for the program, which has steadily declined since claiming a Big Ten title at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Indiana's Malik Reneau Goes Off
The Hoosiers were short-handed on Friday night, but Malik Reneau put together a career performance to fill the void. The star forward scored a career-high 34 points and collected 11 rebounds, leading Indiana to a 100-87 win over Kennesaw State.
It marked the first time this season the Hoosiers have hit the century mark. Fittingly, IU hit triple-digits on a Reneau free throw with 23 seconds to play.
Yes, it was another close call for Indiana, trailing the Owls 68-64 at one point in the second half. But the Hoosiers were without Kel'el Ware and continue to play without Xavier Johnson.
Sometimes, just stacking up wins is key.
For as much as Indiana has struggled this season, it was refreshing to see Reneau step up when his team needed him. If he's able to perform at that kind of level more consistently, the Hoosiers are a much more dangerous team.
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