Oller: Ryan Day should thank Connor Stalions for casting doubt on UM wins vs. Ohio State
Michigan Impossible’s Connor Stalions should be expecting a thank-you card from Ohio State coach Ryan Day this Thanksgiving season.
And why not? Stalions and Michigan have placed Day’s job status under less scrutiny by casting doubt on the validity of UM’s back-to-back wins against the Buckeyes the past two seasons.
Before the alleged sign-stealing scheme was uncovered last month, a main talking point surrounding the Nov. 25 Ohio State-Michigan game was whether Day could keep his two-game losing streak against the Wolverines from becoming a three-peat. There are those on both sides of the rivalry who think Michigan has Day’s number, that Jim Harbaugh’s style of trench warfare, power football holds an inherent advantage, especially in November weather, over Day’s pass-first approach that has sometimes been described as finesse over force. (Through 10 games, the Buckeyes actually have attempted more runs (335) than passes (314), but old narratives die hard).
Day’s critics have warned that he better beat the Wolverines this season. Or else, with “else” being not-so-subtle code for pack your bags and scram. Even Day supporters agree he would stabilize his job security by reversing the two-game skid. A win in Ann Arbor would keep an unfortunate set of circumstances from ballooning into a full-scale, sky-is-falling trend.
We will shelve for now any discussion of whether Day deserves the abuse he has received, also understanding that with The Game, as Clint Eastwood playing Bill Munny in "Unforgiven" reminds us, “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.”
The reality is that every Ohio State coach needs to sock it to the Maize and Blue more often than not – probably 8 of every 10 seasons – or hear the approaching drums while the angry mob chants, “It’s time for a change.”
Unless the Wolverines cheated.
If intentional rule-breaking occurred, and I’d put the percentage of OSU fans who think it did at 300% – the number is probably closer to 99.9% for non-OSU fans, maybe 10% for UM fans – then it still behooves Day to win in Ann Arbor next week. But it is no longer essential to tamping down the suffocating win-or-else pressure, at least not in the way that being inside a submarine is essential to survival 2,000 feet beneath the water’s surface.
Day has Stalions to thank for that. The former Michigan staffer, accused of running a signal-stealing scheme that remains under investigation by the NCAA and Big Ten, released the pressure valve on the cooker in which Day was being steamed.
So when Stalions opens that holiday token of Day’s appreciation, he should see something like this:
“Season’s Greetings, Connor. I just wanted to say that even though I am angry over your alleged (sarcasm font) involvement in stealing our sideline signals, which was a breach of sportsmanship resulting in That Team Up North gaining a huge advantage against us, I do see the irony of the situation as it relates to my approval rating among Buckeye IndigNation. In a weird way, your actions have eased my burden. If we win this year, all is forgiven. But if we do not win – I refuse to say the “L” word – it won’t be as bad as it could have been had you not been providing Harbaugh intel on us. Our fans wonder if us going 0-2 since 2021 really would have been 2-0 or 1-1 if not for your actions.
Anyway, I just wanted to acknowledge your help on this matter. Best of luck with your new job, apparently as a Central Michigan University staffer?
Ryan Day, Go Bucks!!“
In the real world, Day is not quite that open with his feelings toward Michigan, Stalions and Harbaugh.
I asked Day on Wednesday if, as a competitor, he wanted Harbaugh on the Michigan sideline Nov. 25. Last Friday, the Big Ten suspended the UM coach through the regular season, and Thursday afternoon Harbaugh and the university accepted the three-game penalty. According to Michigan, it dropped pending litigation in exchange for the conference closing its investigation, which the university stressed did not find evidence that Harbaugh knew of Stalions' spying.
“I know there is a lot (happening) out there, but I’m just focused on my team,” Day said. “We have to play Minnesota. We have to beat these guys, then we’ll move on to what comes next.”
Best guess? Day would prefer his adversary be standing across the field when Ohio State wins. And if the Buckeyes lose? It won't help Day's approval rating that he failed to beat Michigan even with Harbaugh out of the picture.
I followed up by asking if Day thinks Michigan stole Ohio State’s signals.
“I’d ask the question, too, If I was you,” Day said. “But I’m not going to answer that.”
Fair enough. Loose lips can sink championships, but what about what everyone else thinks? What is Day’s standing nationally as it relates to so-called Cheatgate?
Dan Wetzel is part of a two-man Yahoo Sports reporting team, with Ross Dellenger, tracking the UM story. He agrees Day’s critics will soften their carping because of Michigan’s alleged sign stealing, but the national columnist sees an even bigger positive for Day unrelated to his 1-2 record against the Wolverines.
“Michigan is dealing with lawyers and scandal and (Day) is not, and that’s always good,” Wetzel said. “It’s, ‘We’re just down here playing football. We’re 10-0 and winning games.’
What Ryan Day has right now is what you want from a football program. It’s very calm. No drama.”
The biggest concerns among Ohio State fans are whether quarterback Kyle McCord can be as consistent as potential NFL MVP C.J. Stroud and whether a wide receiver (Marvin Harrison Jr.) can win the Heisman, Wetzel said.
Considering the alternative, that is something for which to be truly thankful.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State coach Ryan Day should thank Michigan, Connor Stalions
