Emeka Egbuka Stands Up For Ryan Day's Comments On Lou Holtz
Heading into the bye week, the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes scored a huge win against the then-No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road Saturday.
However, something potentially as important as scoring the win for the Buckeyes to achieving their three goals — beat Michigan, win Big Ten Championship and the national championship — is that they have a moxie and a swagger about them thanks in large part to head coach Ryan Day's public defense against Lou Holtz's questions of Ohio State's toughness and physicality.
And Day has the support of his players.
"I full support everything coach Day said and everything that he's going to say in the future," wide receiver Emeka Egbuka said Wednesday. "That's my head coach. We're all going to rally behind him, and we believe he can get us to where we want to be."
After Ohio State's 17-14 victory, Day voiced his displeasure with Holtz saying the Fighting Irish would win by 10 because they are the more physical football team.
"I'd like to know where Lou Holtz is right now," Day said on NBC's postgame broadcast. "What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We're proud to be from Ohio, and it's always been Ohio against the world and it'll continue to be Ohio against the world. But, I'll tell you what, I love those kids. We got a tough team."
Holtz made his first public comments since Day's postgame outburst in an interview with Dan Dakich, saying that Day has done "a tremendous job" and is a "great offensive mind." However, Holtz then divulged into doubling down on his comments.
“Ohio State’s a good team. I don’t think they’re a great team," Holtz said. "He can go after me all he wants. I honestly felt that Notre Dame was better and more physical. And I’m sorry that Coach Day was offended by it. I hope he goes on and has a wonderful year. I don’t think they’ll be a great team. I really don’t.
“Notre Dame was a better football team. I felt Notre Dame won the football game. All we had to do was fall on the ball.”
Holtz is continuing to stoke the flame that's growing inside the Ohio State football program, and the teams remaining on the Buckeyes' schedule are in the way.
