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Wolverine Digest

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reminds Ryan Day of his failures

Jerred Johnson|
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith used his First Take pulpit to remind Ryan Day how perilous his coaching seat is. Smith said if Day had lost to Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff that he would have called for Day to be removed. Smith reminded the embattled coach that he was gifted a $20 million NIL paid for team and that losing in the first round would have been unacceptable. But the Buckeyes prevailed over a Tennessee team that seemed overmatched for most of the game, winning by a score of 42-17.

The job is two-fold... Beat Michigan, and make sure you are in the national championship picture
Stephen A. Smith

While the Playoff win over Tennessee was big for Day and Ohio State, the fourth consecutive loss to Michigan is something that continues to haunt them. The Buckeyes move on to face Oregon for a rematch in the Rose Bowl and a chance to keep their "championship or bust" season alive. By all accounts, most believe that Ohio State is the favorite to win the national championship with a loaded roster. They enter rematch with Oregon as 2.5 point favorites as of this writing, but the Buckeyes being favored really doesn't mean all that much in the Ryan Day era. They were favored by over 20 points at home before collapsing against a Michigan team with a limited offense.

If Day fails to deliver a championship with this roster, is there a chance he could be on his way out in Columbus? It seems unlikely. Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork recently said he's "absolutely" confident Day will be back next year. But even with that confidence from the AD, there's a good chance that Stephen A. will resume his call for a regime change if the Buckeyes fail in securing a national championship.

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Jerred Johnson
JERRED JOHNSON

Jerred Johnson has served in the United States military for over 23 years. He has a Bachelors in Marketing, a Masters in Management and is in the final phases of completing his Doctorate in Business Administration.

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