Life can hit you when you’re at your lowest, and for Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes, it seems they’re still reeling from the painful 13-10 loss inflicted by Sherrone Moore’s Michigan Wolverines. Just as Day was scrambling to save his job, things took a turn for the worse. The cause? None other than 5-star recruit David Sanders Jr. Up until the very end, Sanders kept the Buckeyes and Day on edge, leading them to believe he might join Ohio State. But in the end, those were just empty hopes. Sanders Jr. made his final decision and committed to the one program Day feared the most—Ohio State’s rivals. He’s already receiving VIP treatment at his new school.
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers had been eyeing Sanders Jr. for some time. Back in August, he had already given his verbal commitment to Tennessee, despite Ohio State’s strong recruitment efforts. Still, Sanders Jr. decided to give the Buckeyes one last chance, planning a visit to The Horseshoe for the Ohio State vs. Indiana game. It was a significant game for Ohio State, as they dominated the Hoosiers 38-15.
While Sanders Jr.’s official signing day was set for December, things took a turn for Day’s Buckeyes before then. You can probably guess what happened next: the November 29th showdown against Michigan, where Ohio State suffered a crushing 13-10 loss. That might have been the tipping point for Sanders Jr. to finalize his commitment to Tennessee. And it’s clear from his recent tweet, “Absolutely violating 😂😂 Let’s work though 🤞🏿,” that he’s thrilled with his decision.
It’s selfie time for David Sanders Jr., as the 5-star recruit flashed his signature grin and posed with Kevin Pendleton, the Assistant Offensive Line coach for Tennessee. The coach is clearly thrilled to have Sanders on the team, and his excitement is evident from the caption, which reads, “@DavidLSandersJr been a long time comin😂 just the beginning young fella! #GBO🍊.” Why so much celebration? Well, Sanders Jr. made his commitment official and signed with Tennessee on December 5, Thursday, staying loyal to the Volunteers. As for Ryan Day, how is he handling the setback?
ESPN Analyst’s Critique Adds to Ryan Day’s Pressure Amidst Hot Seat
Ryan Day, the Ohio State head coach, doesn’t have much time to dwell on Sanders Jr.’s decision to join Tennessee. Instead, he’s focused on trying to save his job. With Ohio State’s recent struggles, fans have begun to call for the return of former head coach Urban Meyer, urging him to leave his broadcast career behind and take the reins of the program once again. Meyer, who led the Buckeyes from 2012 to 2018, even guided the team to a national championship in 2014.
Forget the national championship; with Day, it looks like Ohio State won’t be going anywhere. But sadly Meyer no longer wishes to be back, as he clarified, “It has come to my attention that there are reports speculating my return to the sidelines in Columbus. While I thoroughly enjoyed my seven seasons as head coach at the Ohio State University, I have no interest in coaching again.”
And how could the greatest critic in college football let go of this big chance by not making his expert commentary? Here entered the ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum. Without mincing his words, he stated, “He [Ryan Day] has zero good will in Columbus, Ohio, right now. A national championship will get a lot back, but short of that, I think he’s history.” Now Ryan Day’s crown must be feeling a lot heavier than before with such heavy blames!
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