The proverb “it is always darkest before the dawn” has an issue because, when it’s dark, you never know if you are truly in complete darkness or if there is still more darkness ahead. I think that’s where the Ohio State football team is right now.
Of course, everything is relative since, for almost every college football program, an 11-1 regular season, a spot in the New Year’s Six Bowl, and the nation’s top recruiting class would be the ideal result. However, following the Buckeyes’ third consecutive defeat at the hands of their opponents on Saturday, Nov. 25, things have grown more and more worrisome for the people who are housed in the Woody Hayes Athletic Facility.Starting quarterback Kyle McCord, first-team wide receiver Julian Fleming, and semi-starting runningback Chip Tayanum are among the 14 players the Buckeyes have seen enter their names in the transfer portal. The remaining transfers were primarily depth players who had already been passed over by younger players, but the fact that 16.5% of your scholarship roster, excluding players who are using up their eligibility this season, are choosing to continue their college careers elsewhere, is at least somewhat concerning.
A five-star offensive lineman who had multiple Ohio State crystal balls commit to Coach Prime and Colorado, even though the Buffs weren’t on his list of final candidates released just two days earlier. Ohio State also saw a four-star running back and a five-star defensive line prospect who had been committed since July flip their pledges to the Miami Hurricanes. Rumor has it that several other highly regarded pledges are about to back out of their commitments, which would completely devastate OSU’s second-ranked recruiting class when the Early Signing Period begins.There’s no denying that things are really bleak for OSU right now, with the threat of falling behind their Big Ten opponents hanging over everything around Ryan Day’s program. But maybe this is peak darkness after all, and morning is soon around the corner if the Buckeyes can only stay upright as they stumble through these last few seconds of complete darkness.Though, in many respects, I think Day’s capacity to accomplish what it takes to be a truly great head football coach will be put to the test before the end of January 2024, I still think he can coach football. I believe he may have gained insight from his recent problems in pivotal moments if he can make the possibly painful decisions involving his staff, roster, and himself.
But we may be in for even more darkness than anyone in Buckeye Nation would like to endure if he keeps digging his heels in the sand rather than acting as the certain, determined leader that his program requires.
