Running a blueblood program like Ohio State means the pressure’s always on. Ryan Day knew the score: championship glory or a fiery demise. Losing to archrivals Michigan brought that latter reality home. But that national title? That flipped the script, transforming a potential nightmare into a dream realized. As Day himself put it, “I say to my wife all the time, we signed up for it.” No whining, no dodging—just standing firm and taking the heat. What if they had faltered against Notre Dame? Let’s not even go there.
Already for four straight seasons, Ryan Day faced his worst nightmare: losing to the Michigan Wolverines. But the pressure wasn’t just on him; his family endured threats, hara–ment, and verbal ab–e, not just from rivals but from their own fanbase. Now, with a championship under his belt, Day reflects on those struggles in the TIM MAY Show, proving he can navigate the fire and come out on top.
Ryan Day said, “You know, I remember when we sat down as a family—I’ve said this before—the night before the press conference. A family all, and they were young at the time. And Nina and I were talking about how this is probably going to be the first young family to come up as the head coach of Ohio State. You know, most of the head coaches before had older children or whatever.” Despite that, Day is 69-10 in the six-plus seasons from the moment he took over Urban Meyer’s position. And this is the 2nd time he’s got the Buckeyes to a title game.
But when a loss against Michigan takes over all your achievements, there’s nothing you can really do. And Ryan Day’s wife also foresaw the intensity, reflecting on her initial reaction when they entered this demanding profession. “And, you know, she [Nina Day] started crying. She said, ‘This is the last day our family will be normal.’ And she was right. And along the way, you know, my family’s had to grow, and the kids have had to get stronger. She’s—you know, Nina’s had to get stronger, and now they are strong,” the HC added. No wonder that loss proved her right.
Nina Day was straightforward. She saw firsthand the devastating toll the 13-10 loss to Michigan took on her husband. In an interview with WBNS, she revealed that the situation went beyond acceptable limits. “The weeks between the ‘Team Up North’ game and the Tennessee game were brutal,” she admitted. “I was very upset about what was happening to some of our players and my children. It just wasn’t right. I think Buckeye Nation has an amazing fan base, I really do. And with every fan base, there’s that percentage that takes it too far.” And it was all uncalled for.
The backlash was severe; their 16-year-old son, RJ, received death threats due to a football game. The situation escalated quickly, leading the family to seek assistance from a private security team. Imagine having armed guards at your house because of this. It’s important to reflect on the seriousness of the situation. And despite all of it, Ryan Day, being the person he is, took that as a lesson for him, his family, and his team to be prepared for what might strike them in the future.
As he said, “But personally, I think, yeah, to answer your point about the family, it was important for my kids and my wife to see—in a bad spot, when adversity has you backed up against the wall, you have to fight. You have to put one foot in front of the other, and you have to fight yourself out of it. And I told the team that.” But Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer doesn’t quite see it the same way Ryan Day does.
Jack Sawyer addresses Ryan Day’s misery
Columbus bleeds Buckeyes football, but even their star players have had their breaking points. Jack Sawyer is someone who was all set to rumble with Michigan players trying to plant flags on their turf. He’s made it clear he “won’t ever get over that loss,” because, let’s be real, they were supposed to be the best. He was locked in on revenge, and now, here he is at the Combine, and he’s talking about something way bigger than just football.
Sawyer said, “Coach Day is one of the toughest, most resilient guys I’ve ever been around. That’s the reason why we all love him. It’s the reason I love him so much.” That’s not just a player talking about his coach; that’s a guy who’s seen the pressure and respects the hell out of how Day handled it.
In that moment, Sawyer’s emotions took a toll on him as he cursed at the podium, then apologized—not that anyone blamed him. “No matter what’s going on. No matter all the unfair s–t that’s being said about him… You know he’s going to stand in there and stand strong. Take it head-on for us and take all the blame, even if it’s wrongfully deserved.” This isn’t just about football anymore. Jack Sawyer laid it out, showing how low people will stoop as they dragged Day’s family into the mud.
The situation became so dire that even Nick Saban had to chime in on the mess. You know it’s bad when Saban’s putting down the golf clubs to call out a fanbase. “These Ohio State fans, you know, they’ve got a psychotic obsession with Michigan, and they need to go get therapy or something to try to get it fixed.” Seriously, whether you love him or hate him, when Nick Saban’s telling your fans to get professional help, it’s time to take a long, hard look in the mirror.
Meanwhile, as Jack Sawyer heads to the NFL Combine, the biggest week of his career, he’s still shouting out Ryan Day, calling him ‘the best coach in the world.’ He’s taking the lessons Day instilled—the same ones that shaped him at Ohio State—and hoping to showcase them in Indianapolis.
The post Ryan Day Bares His Heart on Attacks and Family Struggles as Jack Sawyer’s Painful Admission Turns Heads appeared first on EssentiallySports.
