Oller: Back off, 'psychotic' Buckeye Nation! I'm with Herbie on this one: Day must stay
Kirk Herbstreit has called out Ohio State's “15-percenters” – his term for OSU fans on social media who want Ryan Day’s head on a platter because they hold him to a “psychotic standard.”
It was nice of Herbie to leave the remaining faction of the “lunatic fringe” to me. I accept the challenge.
Brace yourself, Buckeye Nation, here it comes … Back off! For now. If OSU loses a third consecutive game to Michigan, let’s have an intelligent discussion about whether the Wolverines simply have Day’s number, or if losing to UM involves something more systemic. Something John Cooper-like. But now is not the time to borrow that kind of trouble.
As Herbstreit put it during his Tuesday appearance on the Pat McAfee show, 15% of OSU fans posting on the Web are “out of their minds.” Those are the people getting after Day and quarterback Kyle McCord.
“(They want to) fire everybody, get rid of everybody,” Herbstreit said.
Well, not Brutus or Marvin Harrison Jr., but you get his point.
Prompted by what I heard while out and about after Saturday’s 23-3 win at Indiana, I planned to write something similar to Herbstreit’s rant even before the ESPN broadcaster and former Buckeyes quarterback went off. Thank-you, Herbie, for greasing the skids. But you were a little low on your percentage.
I don’t know exactly how many citizens of Buckeye Nation think Day is out to lunch, and are ready for new blood to take over the program, but it is higher than 15%. Everywhere I go – the golf course, grocery, waiting in line at a food truck – it feels like at least half the fans are down on Day.
Commonly heard comments:
“He just doesn’t have it.”
“This team isn’t tough enough, which is on him.”
“He’s not from Ohio, so he doesn’t really get The Game.”
Pish. Day is a keeper. That doesn’t mean he is perfect. No coach is. But in my attempt to head off all hysterical OSU fans at the pass, let me just say that if it is true what Woody Hayes said – “You win with people” – then the Buckeyes will be just fine under Day.
How big they win, as in how far they can go, now that is a fair question, mostly because Day has yet to deliver a national championship. He came awfully close last year, but any fan of the scarlet and gray can attest that “close” is the opposite of “accomplished.”
Older fans know that close mostly has been a painful way of life for Ohio State since at least 1969, the year which began a 33-year run of heartbreak. Too many losses to Michigan. Too many blown Rose Bowls. Too many (5!) chances to be crowned national champions that fell through. Yes, Jim Tressel won one. Urban Meyer won another. But two measly nattys over the past 54 seasons? Alabama (with 10) laughs in your direction. As does Southern California (5), Miami (4) and Nebraska (4). Clemson (3), Georgia (3), Florida (3), Notre Dame (3), Florida State (3), and LSU (3) are snickering.
Takeaway? It’s way too soon to run Day out of town. And I’m not sure what would need to happen to reach that point anyhow. Losing a third straight to the suddenly A-Maizing and Blue? Losing three or four games this season? (It could happen. Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan and even Luke Fickell-coached Wisconsin are potential Ls).
Would four losses seal Day’s fate? Bulletin: Beloved Tress lost four games in 2004 and lasted another six seasons until, well, that ink-on-skin thing happened. Day has never been in trouble with the law (i.e. NCAA police state) and over four seasons at the helm, has been less combustible than Meyer. Some will say the Buckeyes need more internal combustion, but do not underestimate Day’s competitive drive. He is a non-Hollywood version of “Fast & Furious.”
Why am I advocating so strongly for Day now, when previously I have taken some shots? Let’s just say I appreciate decency. And I like the guy. He seems remarkably … human. But it’s not just that. He signs and develops Heisman-hopeful quarterbacks, which gives OSU a better than a “Dumb and Dumber” chance of playing for national championships each season.
Mostly, though, I am pushing back against the maddening crowd of OSU faithful who want to use Saturday’s 23-3 win at Indiana as lethal ammunition by which to put Day on life support. Was the Buckeyes’ offense anemic? Yes. Does Day have a quarterback controversy on his hands? Possibly, but still too soon to tell. Does he need to prove he can win the biggest games? Yes and no. You have to beat Michigan, sooner the better. But fans tend to overlook bowl wins against Clemson and Utah.
There are valid curiosities and criticisms. Day failed to put McCord in for starter C.J. Stroud last season until mop-up time, pushing the junior’s lack of experience in crucial situations into 2023. I still wonder if the Buckeyes are built more like a Big 12 finesse program than a bruising Big Ten team. There also is some thought that Day would enjoy coaching more if he could lock himself in a room and scheme offense, instead of dealing with all the other stuff required of program CEOS. And, yes, the Michigan thing.
Reasonable people can debate all those concerns, key word reasonable. I’m not in lockstep with Herbie on everything, and generally I don’t like to scold fans for their behavior. There is something to the idea of those who help pay the bills get to complain the loudest. All I’m saying is let’s wait to see how Day does this season – beyond the IU game. Let’s see how he handles the QB situation. Is he truly all-in on demanding OSU be a top-10 defense? My sense is that more than even during his first year at the helm, the man with the black beard will need to plunder every bit of coaching acumen to earn his $9 million salary. Can he sail this ship to the playoffs?
Take a breath, lunatic fringe, or you won’t make it to November.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Psychotic Ohio State football fans take big hit from Kirk Herbstreit
