OSU's Ryan Day Hints at Michigan Cheating, Had An 'Inkling' Communications Would Fail
Maybe Ohio State's communication system going down in the middle of a road game against its rival that was just punished for a laundry list of Level I and Level II NCAA violations amid three seasons worth of cheating allegations was a coincidence.
Maybe it wasn't.
Either way, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day was prepared.
"We lost communication there in the second half," he told reporters Tuesday following Saturday's 27-9 victory. "But the good news was, earlier that week I thought there may be an inkling that may happen. So we had a plan for it. We had a wristband plan. And then we had to bring Julian [Sayin] over, and that was just getting us through it until we got the headsets back up and running.
"... We're just ready for everything. You've got to be ready for anything. When you go into any big game, you're always trying to put contingency plans in place for anything that can possibly happen. I was in here on Friday, and I think some of the guys on the staff were looking at me sideways like, 'Why would you think that would happen?' … It's funny how your mind works."
Notably, he ended the comments with a wink and a smirk, which led to plenty of laughter from the reporters in attendance.
It wasn't particularly difficult to read between the lines, especially when talking about a Michigan program that the NCAA punished this summer with showcases for former assistant Connor Stalions and Jim Harbaugh, a suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore, and a fine equivalent to the anticipated loss of postseason revenue in 2025 and 2026, among other punishments.
"Over the course of three seasons, the Michigan football program committed violations involving an off-campus, in-person scouting scheme, impermissible recruiting inducements and communications, head coach responsibility rules, individuals' failures to cooperate and Michigan's failure to monitor," the NCAA said.
It also said there were "sufficient grounds for a multiyear postseason ban" but decided against it since it "would unfairly penalize student-athletes for the actions of coaches and staff who are no longer associated with the Michigan football program."
Still, an Ohio State program that won 15 of its previous 16 head-to-head matchups with the Wolverines prior to the alleged 2021 start of Stalions' scheme was ready for anything in the latest edition of the heated rivalry.
And anything included the communications system going out:
Sayin was seen jogging over to the sidelines to talk to Day and other members of the offensive staff in between plays a number of times, and the Fox broadcast reported on the communications issues for the Buckeyes.
Fortunately for the Scarlet and Gray, that didn't stop them from physically imposing their will against their overmatched opponents.
Ohio State finished with 419 total yards to Michigan's 163. It seized full control of the game with a physical 20-play, 81-yard drive that lasted just under 12 minutes and ended with a field goal to extend the lead to three possessions in the fourth quarter and send many of the Wolverines fans home.
By the time the final whistle blew, the Buckeyes were celebrating with the throngs of scarlet-clad visiting fans who made the trip to see the reigning national champions turn the tide in the rivalry once again all while Michigan players stood at midfield and watched while making sure there was no flag planting on the logo.
Now the Buckeyes can turn their attention to a highly anticipated showdown with Indiana in the Big Ten championship game before another return to the CFP.
As for Michigan, it will await to find out which non-playoff bowl game it will go to after being sent to the ReliaQuest Bowl last season.
