In each of the past two seasons, Ohio has fallen slightly short of a national championship. In 2019, the Buckeyes lost a game played against Clemson in the semifinals and fell to Alabama in the national championship game on Monday night.
This can be frustrating for the Ohio State coach Ryan Day, but ESPN analyst David Pollack he believes his time is coming. Nick Saban he cannot be a coach forever and Day has already positioned himself to be among the next wave of great coaches of all time in college football. Competing in an era with Saban is a difficult break for Day, but Pollack believes the Buckeyes coach will do the job.
“The good thing is that Nick is almost 70,” said Pollack on ESPN’s CFB Live. “So he waits for Nick Saban retire and then have the opportunity to win a championship. There are many great coaches in college football now that, be it Lincoln Riley, or Kirby Smart, all these guys who are knocking on the door. But they have to go through the door with the best coach of all time. You were born at the wrong time. You are in the wrong era. It is the age of Nick Saban. Dabo Swinney jumped up and grabbed a pair, but everyone was struggling to get one here or there. “
Another thing that Pollack suggested to Day in the off-season was to make some changes on the defensive side of the ball. If the State of Ohio can take its defense to the next level, it will continue to be a strong contender for the national title.
“I think Ryan Day and they’ll be back, ”said Pollack. “In 2017, Meyer Urbano had his doors ripped off him, 31-0 by Clemson. What happened? He went out and got Ryan Day. Ryan Day you can also go out and make changes to your team, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. ”
After the defeat of the Buckeyes in the national championship, Day admitted that the result was disappointing. Still, he was proud of the way his team struggled throughout the season.
“Hard night. Difficult night, “said Day.” I am proud of our team, proud of seniors, proud of the year we had. But it was a difficult night. Lots to unravel, but when you look a team in the eye in the locker room after the long season we’ve been through, it’s hard to start focusing on one or two moves or whatever because they’ve been through a lot of. I am proud of the legacy that the elderly have left. But you have to give Alabama credit. Certainly a very good team, and they played very well tonight. “
In the ESPN Way-Too-Early Top 25 ranking for the 2021 season, the Buckeyes are in 5th place. The state of Ohio will certainly be in the mix again next fall.