https://twitter.com/RedditCFB/status/1851328166931157076
You LOVE to throw this "Ryan Day is 2-6 against top-5 teams" stat out there but I think it is misleading at best for at least three reasons:
First, is 2-6 against top-5 teams really all that bad? The reality is that top-5 teams don't lose very often, that is why they are top-5 teams. Beyond that, this 2-6 is THAT far below .500. Lets look at the tape:
- 2019, L 29-23 to #3 Clemson in CFP semi-final. A couple thoughts: First, the fact that they got to the CFP semi-final needs to viewed as an accomplishment and getting there involved beating #25 MSU (by 24 points), #13 UW (by 31 points), #8 PSU (by 11), #13 M (by 29), and #8 UW (by 13). Second, this was an incredibly close game decided by an INT in the EZ with just seconds to go. Also, there are a LOT of calls in this game that tOSU fans are still stewing over.
- 2020: W 49-28 over #2 Clemson in CFP semi-final. Absolute blowout.
- 2020: L 52-24 to #1 Bama in CFP CG. Well, Bama was that year's NC. This was a phenomenal team and well that just happens.
- 2021: L 42-27 to #5 M. This win will be vacated once the NCAA penalties for Michigan's flagrant cheating over the last three years come down.
- 2022: W 21-10 over #5 ND.
- 2022: L 45-23 to #3 M. This win will be vacated once the NCAA penalties for Michigan's flagrant cheating over the last three years come down.
- 2022: L 42-42 to #1 Georgia. They were that year's NC and absolutely obliterated TCU in the CG. Also, this was an incredibly close game that came down to a missed FG as time expired.
- 2023: L 30-24 to #3 M. This win will be vacated once the NCAA penalties for Michigan's flagrant cheating over the last three years come down.
- 2024: L 32-31 to #3 Oregon. This was an incredibly close game that came down to literally the last second.
For starters, I'm seeing 2-7 which is actually worse than the 2-6 you are throwing around.
That said, the two wins were a blowout and a solid 11-point win while three of the seven losses were by a combined total of 8 points and all three games came down to the last few seconds. Then there are the three losses that will be vacated. There is only one bad loss and that was to a team that might be the best in the history of CFB.
Secondly, three of the losses were to a team that was flagrantly cheating.
Thirdly, one thing that Ryan Day gets FAR too little credit for is NEVER losing to bad teams. In his 5-1/2 years so far here are all of his teams' losses:
- To #3 Clemson in CFP Semi-final.
- To #1 Bama in CFP CG.
- To #12 Oregon.
- To #5 Michigan*.
- To #3 Michigan*.
- To #1 Georgia.
- To #3 Michigan*.
- To #9 Mizzou.
- To #3 Oregon.
Teams in bold were that year's NC. *indicates a team was flagrantly cheating at the time and will vacate the win.
That #12 2020 Oregon team is the only non-top-10 team Ryan Day's Buckeyes have EVER lost to. Most people take this for granted because a team "should" beat the bad teams but Urban didn't. Tressel didn't. Woody didn't. It also goes well beyond Ohio State. Ask Pete Carrol how many NC's he lost due to losing to crap teams.