Reggie Bush believes Ryan Day must beat Notre Dame to validate himself

Few coaches have gone through as stark a turnaround in fan sentiment toward them as Ryan Day at Ohio State over the last two months.

Day went from on a seat that was suddenly becoming scorching after a fourth straight rivalry game loss to Michigan to one that could get downright icy… at least with one more win. The sixth-year head coach has helped his team knock off two SEC opponents and the top-seeded team in the College Football Playoff in recent weeks, setting up a national title game matchup with Notre Dame. Win that, and Day can probably finally breathe a bit of a sigh of relief.

“I think this is a game that Ryan Day needs to win. I really do,” former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush told On3’s Nick Kosko. “Because these last few years of losing to Michigan is just a gut punch in the stomach for Ohio State fans. And it’s the game that, at the end of the season, it’s the game for them. It’s the rivalry game that each team desperately wants to win, and it’s the game that they prepare for all season long.

“I know for a fact that Ryan Day specifically prepares for that game against Michigan starting from Week 1. So I’m sure the same thing is true for Michigan as well, right? So this is a game that I think Ryan Day needs to win to just validate, I think, a lot.”

Simply put, the pressure at Ohio State is matched only a few other places in the country. If you’re not competing for national titles, you’re out.

Michigan has been a roadblock in that pursuit for Ryan Day for the past four years. Except, this year, in the era of the 12-team College Football Playoff, Ohio State has been able to work around it. Much of the goodwill from getting here, though, could be lost if Ohio State loses as a 9.5-point favorite. So Bush believes Ryan Day needs the win to keep the momentum going in his favor.

“For him and for his team and just where they are,” Bush said.

The other factor is that point spread. Ohio State is favored by more than a touchdown. It’s hard to overlook that.

“Going back to it, I think this is a game that Ryan Day needs to win more than Notre Dame,” Bush said. “But we’ll see what happens. If Ohio State jumps out early the same way they did against Oregon, I think it’s going to be very tough for Notre Dame to claw back into it.”