Ryan Day Claims Ohio State Is A Place For Winners While Sitting In Front Of A Participation Trophy

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day claims he wants excellence from his program, but he also seems to value finishing in second place.

We all know that the Scarlet and Gray want - and often get - the best of the best players in the country to make their way to Columbus. Each year, it seems like they replace their plethora of NFL talent with a new wave of studs that consistently make themselves one of the best teams in the land.

"Across the board at Ohio State, there’s an expectation that when you come here, you’re going to be a first or second-rounder at your position. That’s it," Day said.

Simple enough, and a standard that only a handful of players have the talent and drive to meet. There’s a reason the school has produced the most first-round draft picks in NFL history.

But if being the best is truly the objective for the Buckeyes, why would Day celebrate being anything less than that?

You might be saying that he doesn’t. Maybe not in press conferences after games, but he has a pretty big reminder of a time when he was humiliated by the best.

One fan astutely pointed out that right behind Day was a trophy marking his participation in the 2021 national title game. Mind you, that wasn’t a game that ended well for the Bucks; Alabama crushed them 52-24. 

But there it was, a literal participation trophy sitting six inches behind a guy claiming his program is only for winners.

The best comedy writers couldn't create material this good.

If you want to talk about a big game, you have to expect that players or coaches won’t be satisfied with anything less than titles. But for right now, it seems like Day has a little room in his office (and his heart) for embarrassing losses.