The Ohio State Buckeyes have a complete season ahead of them, even as they face the aftermath of a challenging defeat. In the recent Big Ten title game, the Buckeyes lost to the Indiana Hoosiers with a score of 13-10 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Despite this setback, hope remains for the team as they have still qualified for the postseason as a one-loss contender.
Following the game, Ryan Day, the head coach of the Buckeyes, addressed the team, emphasizing the importance of responding to adversity. “We”re going to respond like men,” Day stated on Sunday after the team was dropped to the No. 2 ranking. “We lost. We were not at our best. Everybody, including myself, the coaches, everybody…You”ve got to address the problems and get them fixed.”
Day expressed confidence in his team”s potential, highlighting the committee”s recognition of their body of work. “We”re excited about where we are and going down to Dallas again and playing against a really good opponent, and going from there,” he added.
The Buckeyes are set to compete against either the Miami Hurricanes or the Texas A&M Aggies in the upcoming Cotton Bowl. Day mentioned that the team will focus on improving their third-down efficiency, particularly in goal-line situations. “I don”t think there was anything that we did that was unsound. Certainly that didn”t happen. There”s a lot that goes with that…Put it on the coaches to make sure our guys are better prepared to execute,” he remarked.
Despite a critical missed field goal by Jayden Fielding that could have changed the outcome, Day reaffirmed his trust in his kicker. “There”s a reason why we put him in there,” he noted. “We”re not putting guys in the game that we don”t believe in.”
As the postseason approaches, the stakes are high, and the Buckeyes are determined to ensure their season does not end without success. Fans will be eagerly waiting to see how they perform come New Year”s Day.
