He benefitted directly from the shitshow surrounding Earl's firing. We overcompensated in the opposite direction. He did just enough that the university was scared of "foosball factory" allegations in the national press if we whacked him. When the off-field shit got as bad as the on-field shit, we finally had the cover to run him.
I think one of the major reasons he got the job was that he beat Michigan in the bowl game that year
This is it exactly. His sorry fucking ass should have been gone after the Air Force fiasco but the Earl firing was the gift that kept on giving for 13 long ass years.
Because he did an amazing job compared to the run to mediocrity of Earl "9-3" Bruce, one of the worst Buckeye coaches of all time. Means nothing to beat scUM if you lose 3 games a year and choke in Rose Bowls.
1. Those are fun traditions and part of the pageantry of the rivalry
Different coaches and teams respond to reactors differently. It's clear Ryan Day needs to play loose and aggressive all that shit makes him tight. Doing something counter to the success of the team for tradition is as dumb as Day trying to beat them with manball.
I don't see how Day sticking his fingers in his ears and yelling lalalala to pretend there isn't heightened pressure around this game is going to help, but he's more than welcome to try it. If he's frightened of some red x's on signs or people not using their name, I can't imagine how that doesn't manifest itself during the game. The premise that he's putting too much pressure on himself is valid. The premise that the fans and tradition around the rivalry are somehow to blame is just dumb and out of his control anyway. Isn't one of his selling points supposed to be he prepares his players for the NFL? Think there isn't pressure there?
Look at Day vs Georgia and Clemson the 2nd time vs him vs Clemson the first time and Michigan the last 2 years. That's how he coaches with fuck it I'm going to go hard vs his tightness. Now yes he can't control what the fans do or any of that but he needs to find a way to get him to coach not tight and the team play not tight. If that means getting rid of some of Meyer's and Tressel's traditions in the Woody I don't care. As long as he fixes it.
It's not a binary situation. There is grey area and nuance. Nobody is saying to ignore the importance of The Game and the desire to beat cunt. That doesn't mean you have to let it consume your soul to the point that Saturday happens. Find that grey area. Find balance, Daniel-son.
I agree with that. But I think doing away with the traditions associated with the rivalry has no bearing on that. They aren't going away nor should they. They are intrinsic to making it special. Day needs to learn how to manage and navigate his emotions and approach to The Game in a more productive, healthier manner. He has no control of the external hype. Tressel and Meyer proved there can be different approaches to the rivalry without trying to change it. Shying away from how big of a deal it is simply won't work tho
