Ryan Day 'sick' after losing to Michigan

Ryan Day walked toward the locker room with his head down after his Buckeyes fell to Michigan for the third-straight season on Saturday, eliminating Ohio State from the College Football Playoff race in the process.

There wasn’t much to say when Day was asked about his emotions after the game, as he was rightfully dejected in the moments following the heartbreaking loss.

“Just sick. The fact that we came up short in this game — the whole year for it and we came up short,” Day said postgame.

Day was also asked about the final interception by Buckeyes QB Kyle McCord in the final minute of regulation. Ohio State needed a touchdown to win the game, he directed McCord to push the ball down the field, but ultimately cost them the game following the pick. Day credited the Wolverines’ zone scheme and DB Rod Moore for coming up with the big play.

Still, Day didn’t have some feel-good speech that he gave the team after the crushing loss — everyone in Ohio State’s locker room knows what losing to Michigan meant for the program and to the players, staff, fans and everyone else alike.

“I try to keep what we talk about in the locker room to ourselves. But we’re all disappointed,” Day continued. “We know what this game means to so many people. And to come up short is certainly crushing. Not only just because you invest your whole year into it, but we know at Ohio State what this game means. There’s a locker room in there that’s devastated. It wasn’t because of a lack of effort.

“But again, we didn’t win the rushing yards, we didn’t win the turnover battle. So, you’re not going to win a game.”

To Day’s point, the Wolverines outgained the Buckeyes 156-107 yards, including 22 rushes for 88 yards and two scores from UM tailback Blake Corum, while their defense forced two turnovers. Overall, however, Ohio State gained 378 total yards during the contest compared to Michigan’s 338 thanks to Kyle McCord’s 271 passing yards.

Still, Day and Ohio State will have to move on from this loss and look toward their expected New Year’s Six Bowl game as one of the first two or three teams out of the final field of four, based on how conference championship week shapes up. Either way, it’s back to the drawing board for Day and Ohio State as they begin looking toward the offseason to improve their roster and staff in the hopes of reaching the CFP in 2024.