After loss to Oregon, Buckeyes seek to find answers vs. Tulsa
The Ohio State Buckeyes have already done the impermissible this season. They've lost.
Coach Ryan Day understands the perfection that Buckeye Nation demands. He loves coaching elite players at a program with seemingly unlimited resources and a rich tradition.
“The hard part is,” he said before the season, “you're not allowed to lose.”
For the first time as a head coach, Day has lost a game that didn't end the Buckeyes' season. Both of his prior losses came in the College Football Playoff. There was finality in that. He had a long offseason to regroup, no game the next week for which to prepare.
So last week's 35-28 loss to Oregon is a new experience for Day. He must be forceful in fixing the many issues the Ducks exposed while ensuring that his coaches and players aren't demoralized heading into Saturday's game against visiting Tulsa.
Much of the early part of the week was spent on devising solutions for a defense that has been a sieve. Day's background is on offense, but the situation is so dire that he had to get involved.
“We have to ask hard questions and make things uncomfortable, and that's part of my job,” Day said.
Day said the silver lining to a loss like Saturday's is that it forces the team to confront issues that might be overlooked in victory. He also is using it to gauge his team's mettle because adversity reveals character.
“It's one thing when things are going well, people can be front-runners,” Day said. “They pat you on the back, whether it's inside the program or outside the program. But when something goes bad, you find out about who people are. That's called life. And it's a great opportunity for our guys to learn about that
and grow.
“If we come out of these things strong, it can make us better. That's what we have to use it for — to build some strength within us and build some leadership, and that's what we're going to do.”
Saturday's opponent has already faced plenty of adversity. Tulsa (0-2) lost to Uc-davis in its opener. It was the first time in 35 years that the Golden Hurricane lost to an FCS program.
That loss should carry a bit of an asterisk, though. Tulsa played without six suspended players for the whole game and three for a half for their part in a brawl following last year's Armed Forces Bowl against Mississippi State.
Last week, the Golden Hurricane led in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma State before giving up a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 28-23 loss.
Ohio State played Tulsa five years ago, winning 48-3 in a game interrupted by severe weather.
The Buckeyes are a big favorite for this game, but this is less about Tulsa and more about whether Ohio State can begin solving its problems, particularly on defense. In the first two games, the Buckeyes have experimented with plenty of players.
“We like to play depth,” Day said. “We don't like to play the same guys for the entire game. Trying to find that balance is where we're at right now. We've got to look at all those options like we've talked about before. Is it personnel? Is it coaching? Is it scheme? Finding the right people in the right spots is part of coaching — making sure the right guys are in those spots.” brabinowitz@dispatch.com @brdispatch