Ryan Day wanted to make one thing clear on Wednesday: he trusts Ohio State’s special teams.
The Buckeyes head coach walked into his media session and immediately addressed the awkward moment from his first press conference of the week, when he appeared to storm off the podium while being asked about whether he trusts that part of the team. Day laughed it off this time and said, "Any hard-hitting questions? Like, if I trust the special teams and just for the record, I trust the special teams."
That line helped cool off a moment that had already been magnified by social media, where a split-second reaction can take on a life of its own.
Still, the reaction didn’t come out of nowhere. Ohio State’s special teams has been, by any reasonable standard, underwhelming.
The problems showed up right away in Week 1, when freshman Legend Bey turned two kick returns from the end zone that he had no business taking out. Then came Week 2, when the defining play was Connor Hawkins missing a 46-yard field goal.
Hawkins arrived in Columbus with hopes of stabilizing the kicking game, but his first big chance ended in disappointment and played a major role in Ohio State’s loss to Texas. The Buckeyes had the Longhorns down 23-3 after three quarters and looked in control, but they couldn’t finish the job in their first real test of the season.
That’s the reality at the top of college football right now: the margins are tiny. Teams ranked No. 1 through No. 7 are all close enough that every edge matters, and special teams is often where games tilt.
If you’re even there in that phase, you give yourself a shot. If you win it, you usually win the game. If you lose it, you’re inviting trouble.
Ohio State has to straighten it out, and Day knows it. But he also made sure there was no confusion about where he stands.
In Other News...
Ohio State Loss Keeps Getting More Awkward After Sarkisian Controversy
Texas comeback win over then-No. 1 Ohio State was already going to be remembered for the result, but the postgame noise has kept following it. Quarterback Arch Manning later apologized after laughing at an AI-generated video that showed coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, a moment that only added to the odd aftertaste surrounding a game the Buckeyes had let slip away.
Sarkisian also addressed the issue in a media meeting, saying he had skipped a postgame interview with Rowe because of a delay and because he chose to celebrate with his team instead. He said he respects Rowe and ESPN and expressed regret over how he handled it, another layer to a loss Ohio State fans were already trying to process as the off-field awkwardness kept building. [Read more 🡒]
Micah Parsons Just Revived A Massive Ohio State What-If
Micah Parsons has reopened one of those Ohio State recruiting what-ifs that never really disappears, especially when a player becomes one of the NFLs most disruptive defenders. The former Penn State star said he was close enough to Ohio State that he could picture what his career might have looked like in Columbus, where a front already stacked with elite pass rushers could have given him a different kind of launch point.
What makes the conversation linger is the way Parsons framed the fit with that Buckeyes defensive line. Ohio State has turned edge talent into a defining part of its identity, and Parsons imagining himself alongside names like Nick Bosa and Chase Young only adds to the intrigue of how much scarier that group might have been. The full story behind his decision is the kind of recruiting twist that still echoes years later, and it is easy to see why Buckeyes fans cannot help replaying it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Secondary Has A Problem Big Ten Teams Will Notice
Ohio States secondary left Saturday with more questions than it wanted after a game against Texas in which coverage broke down on two pass plays that should have put the Buckeyes in real trouble. The only reason both snaps didnt turn into touchdowns was because Texas receivers failed to finish the job, a reminder that the back end is still searching for cleaner communication and tighter execution before Big Ten play begins.
Safety Earl Little Jr. acknowledged the need for improvement and stressed that every defender has to own his assignment if the unit is going to hold up against conference offenses. The coaching staff has kept practice demanding for exactly that reason, pushing the Buckeyes to sharpen the details now rather than hope they sort themselves out later. [Read more 🡒]