‘Embrace the change’
Another year, a new challenge for Ohio State coach
Ryan Day is entering his third year as Ohio State's football coach, and, no, he still hasn't had time to catch his breath.
Each year has had its unique challenges. Having zero quarterbacks who've thrown a collegiate pass is the biggest for this season, which starts next Thursday at Minnesota.
But at least the Buckeyes are unlikely to have to practice this year with trash cans as stand-ins for players.
Yes, you heard that right. In the Covid-ravaged 2020 season, Ohio State's roster was so decimated that they sometimes didn't have enough bodies for a full practice.
“We'd have to go out in the field and there'd be trash cans (lined) up as people and you'd have to try to practice against the cans in a walk-through manner,” Day said. “I said to (strength coach) Mick Marotti that if someone “Here, like you said, you've got to win them all. That's part of the job. It's hard because all it takes is one bad afternoon and your season can be ruined, so that's not easy to do.”
Ryan Day
Ohio State head football coach
could walk in here right now and they didn't know what had happened about six months ago, they'd be like, ‘Oh, my God, this is Armageddon or something like it,' and yet we're still asked to win games.”
Day has won all but two of his 25 games as Buckeyes coach, but it hasn't been a breeze.
He was unexpectedly tapped to fill in for the suspended Urban Meyer for the first three games of 2018. Day then became Meyer's successor after that season, a first-time head coach replacing one who had won three national titles. No pressure there.