The Cotton Bowl match between the number-one Ohio State football team and the number-one Missouri Tigers let down Buckeyes fans.
In a shocking twist, Ohio State did not score a touchdown for the first time in seven years. They lost 14-3 because of this defeat. This surprising result made fans very upset and also prompted a more in-depth look at the team’s troubles with offense. This puts the focus right on head coach Ryan Day.
Offensive Fiasco in the Cotton Bowl
The game had quarterbacks Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz having a tough time. They could only finish 10 passes from their 23 attempts, gaining just 106 yards in the process. The running game also had issues, only getting 2.9 yards for each carry. Ohio State only managed to score on one of its 11 attempts, showing the weakness in their attack force.
The Criticism Aimed at Ryan Day
The problems after losing the Cotton Bowl made people even more critical of head coach Ryan Day. People and experts asked questions about Day’s ways of coaching, especially because the team has not been doing well lately. They even lost three games in a row to Michigan.
Postseason Woes Under Ryan Day
Even though Ohio State keeps playing in games after the regular season, they have not had much success under Ryan Day. The Buckeyes have lost in the college football playoff.
They were beaten badly in 2019 and again last year, as well as getting defeated really big time during the finals of 2020. The bad loss in the Cotton Bowl has people worried about how the team will play during postseason games.
Shorthanded, But Still Disappointing
When Ohio State went to the Cotton Bowl without big names like wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the team’s remaining players just didn’t do enough. Even though there were difficulties, not getting points in the last three parts made people raise their eyebrows and look closely at Day’s choices as a coach more often.
Fan Reactions and the Road Ahead
The not-so-good play against Missouri sparked a lot of responses from fans and experts. As the 2023 season is over, Ohio State must now deal with a big moment as it starts in 2024.
There are more questions than answers for them right now. The problems, even outside of the game, have made people in the Buckeyes think about how good the team is doing with Day as their leader.
Conclusion
The Cotton Bowl showed that Ohio State’s offense was having problems and put a lot of pressure on head coach Ryan Day. As the team starts its break, there are still questions about Day’s choices as a coach and how well the team performed.
This shows that big obstacles will come to them later. Ohio State is sure to face more careful checking and a feeling that they need to fix the problems shown in the Cotton Bowl as they go into the 2024 season.
