INDIANAPOLIS – Ohio State coach Ryan Day sounds confident and comfortable discussing this year's football team.
Never mind the three Michigan banners hanging over his head and slightly behind the podium where he's speaking at the first of three Big Ten media days in Indianapolis — or that it's a not-so-subtle reminder about the looming stakes when he heads home.
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Yes, despite winning 39 league games since taking over one of college football's most storied programs in 2018, the 45-year-old coach finds himself still answering questions about the three losses burning at the heart of the program — all to archrival Michigan.
“ Our guys know what the expectation is. You’ve heard some of them say what their goals are,” Day said Tuesday at Lucas Oil Stadium. “We want to win the rivalry game, be right in this stadium right here and win this Big Ten championship and win a national championship."
Day comes here each year and reminds everyone what's on the list and in the proper order. In Columbus, Ohio, beating Michigan ranks above anything else.
So losing three straight, each of which sent Michigan to a Big Ten title game, still rankles the fan base. And even though the Wolverines cashed in on last year's opportunity by winning a third straight conference crown and their first national championship since sharing the crown with Nebraska in 1997, many Buckeyes fans contended it was tainted by the Wolverines' signal-stealing scheme.
Still, it's made no easier for fans to accept, or for Day's job security.
Despite going 11-2 each of the past three seasons, despite making three playoff appearances and playing for a national title, despite reaching New Year's Six bowl bids all five of Day's full seasons as coach, he finds himself squarely on the hot seat, this fall.
Day understands why it's this way as do his players.
“A bunch of junk came out after we lost to those guys a couple of times, about him not caring, which couldn’t be more wrong,” all-conference defensive end Jack Sawyer said. “He does get unfairly criticized at times, but he knows what he signed up to do and we all signed up to do the same thing and we’ve fallen short as well. If anything, it doesn’t come back on him, it comes back on us as players.”
It's a key reason one dozen players, including Sawyer, opted to return to campus rather than leave early for the NFL — to correct a perceived wrong.
And this just might be the Buckeyes year.
Ohio State heads into the fall dubbed by many as the preseason conference favorite. A media panel selected four of the 12 Buckeyes returnees to be the best at their respective positions this season. Plus, Day has handed former college and NFL head coach Chip Kelly play-calling duties and has added quarterback Will Howard, who threw 24 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions last season at Kansas State.
Day believes Howard's mobility and Kelly's innovative offensive style could change everything in Columbus, Ohio.
“It starts with the quarterback and then it goes to the offensive line, the running backs, the receivers, and how that all gets put together,” Day said. “I think he (Kelly) would tell you he's very excited about what he has in terms of the talent level on the perimeter, up front, the running backs, the quarterback options, the tight ends.”
Defensively, the Buckeyes look even stronger after allowing the second-fewest points per game nationally last season, 11.23, behind only Michigan.
Nine starters return from that group starting with Sawyer and cornerback Denzel Burke. Sawyer played high school football in suburban Columbus and dreamed of the day he'd help Ohio State defeat Michigan. Burke still does.
“You can’t really leave without some gold pants,” Burke said, referring to the prized trophy Ohio State hands out for beating the Wolverines.
Michigan isn't scheduled to appear in Indy until Thursday and will largely be in reload mode.
The defending champs return few starters and a new coach, Sherrone Moore, after Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL.
For Day, that just means the stakes are even higher.
Beat Michigan and all will be well. Lose again, and it's conceivable Day won't be around to see another banner added to the Lucas Oil Stadium collection.
“I’d be lying if I told you it didn’t burn a fire inside of us," Sawyer said. "It’s definitely something we think about. We know what’s at stake when we play those guys. All of our goals and aspirations for the season ride on that one game in November. They hate us, we hate them. That’s the way it’s got to be.”
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