Skull Session: Stuck on third base

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FLY STOCK ON THIRD BASE. After Ohio State's loss to Michigan in 2021, Jim Harbaugh called out Ryan Day.

“Some people were born at third base and think they hit a triple,” he said.

Harbaugh's comment came to mind as I reflected on Ohio State's 32-31 loss to Oregon, not because I believe it now, but for another reason. How Day got to third base doesn't matter, but this does: Nearly six years after he became Ohio State's head coach and three years after Harbaugh's comments in November 2021, Day remains 90 feet from home plate.

Year after year, inning after inning, Day enables the Buckeyes to achieve their goals. In more than five seasons, he has amassed 61 wins in 70 games, he has made top-five recruiting classes, he has produced NFL draft picks…

He reached third base, but he never made it further. The reasons for this are complex.

Day got tagged out a few times (yes, it's possible for a baserunner to get tagged out at third; I know because it happened to me once) because of his inability to win at the edge and his killer instinct in matchup games missing, such as the final moments in the 2022 Georgia game or the end of the first half in the 2023 Michigan game.

He's also stranded at third thanks to Ohio State's offense, defense and special teams. The offense – well, the offensive line and Kyle McCord – failed on the final drive in the 2023 Michigan game. The defense failed in the 2021 Oregon game, the 2021 and 2022 Michigan games (more on that in a moment), the 2022 Georgia game and in the 2024 Oregon game. Then, of course, Noah Ruggles scored a game-winning field goal in the 2022 Georgia game.

Finally, there were the things Day couldn't control — call it poor refereeing or a rain delay, I don't care — like the referees calling back Ohio State's scoop-and-score against Clemson in 2019 and Michigan's illegal sign-stealing Program in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Whatever the reason, Day's narrative is that he can't win the big games. He's stuck at third base and can't get home for the game-winning hit. And despite having two Big Ten championships and three College Football Playoff appearances, he is still 2-7 against AP Top 5 opponents. It won't get him fired, but it's enough to cause excitement in Columbus and abroad.

For those feeling that fear (or any number of other hostile emotions), Ohio State can still achieve its goals this season: beat Michigan, win the Big Ten and win the College Football Playoff. While Day's margin for error has decreased dramatically – we've reached the seventh inning of this figurative baseball game – Day remains where he always was: 90 feet from home plate.

Maybe someone will knock him out. Or maybe he gets aggressive and steals home.

Time will tell.

“This is a big hit for us.” Josh Simmons can have my left leg. He can have it!

In the second quarter of Ohio State's loss to Oregon, Simmons was carted off the field. Day announced in his postgame press conference that Simmons will miss the remainder of the season due to his injury.

“Josh Simmons’ injury hurt,” Day said after the game. “I need to find out about Simmons, but it doesn't look good considering he can come back this season. This is a great success for us.”

No joke.

As I mentioned in the Gameday Skull Session, The Athletic's Dane Brugler named Simmons the second-best 2025 NFL Draft prospect in the Ohio State-Oregon game behind Tyleik Williams.

“As one of the biggest risers this season, Simmons played at a high level,” Brugler wrote. “Give me nimble blockers with smooth body control and finishing skills – that description sums up Simmons.”

When Simmons went down, Zen Michalski moved to left tackle. Unlike Austin Siereveld, who filled in for Tegra Tshabola and started in the Buckeyes' wins over Akron and Western Michigan, Michalski had limited experience toward the end of Ohio State's losses. Still, Day said the fourth-year offensive lineman performed well in place of Simmons.

“Zen did a good job participating and competing,” he said. “Tegra went down there briefly, so Austin had to go in. I thought those guys could have competed.”

With Ohio State idle this weekend, Day postponed the Buckeyes' plans for the left tackle spot until a later date. Their next game is October 26th at home against Nebraska.

“We have to identify all of this,” Day said. “We’ll get back to work next week.”

“They did their job and we didn’t.” What the hell happened to Denzel Burke? And the Ohio State defense – what the hell happened to the Ohio State defense?

“They did their job, we didn’t,” Cody Simon said after the game. “That’s what’s going to happen if you don’t execute like you’re supposed to. … We had to get more stops on defense. We had to help our offense. They did more than enough to win this game.”

Ohio State's offense managed 467 yards against Oregon. Will Howard completed 28 of 35 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He added another score on the ground.

Still, Chip Kelly said Ohio State seemed “disjointed” offensively.

Oregon thwarted Ohio State's deep passing game, forcing Howard to settle for short and intermediate throws in all four quarters. This worked brilliantly as Egbuka had ten catches for 93 yards and a touchdown while Jeremiah Smith had nine catches for 100 yards and a score. Carnell Tate didn't record his first reception until the final drive when he hauled in a 13-yard pass from Howard.

Smith's performance was excellent, except for his offensive pass interference penalty that came on Ohio State's final drive and negated a 9-yard catch to the Oregon 19. This penalty put the Buckeyes out of field goal range (to the Oregon 43). They never got back in.

On the final play, Howard thought he had slipped before time expired; However, he was a second too late.

“It sucks,” Howard said. “You don’t want to lose a game like that.”

But Ohio State did Lose a game like that.

That means the Buckeyes have a lot to test in the next two weeks.

“We have to look at everything,” Day said. “Something we preach a lot is limiting explosive plays and keeping them in front so they can move the ball down the field. That didn't happen in this game. It starts with coaching. We have to train it better, challenge it better and then train it better in practice.”

Ohio State will have plenty of time to practice over the next 12 days. The Buckeyes have Saturday off before their showdown against Nebraska on October 26th. They then face No. 3 Penn State, Purdue, Northwestern, No. 16 Indiana and No. 24 Michigan before the end of the year.

“We can sit here and watch a game here, a game there and complain about a call,” Day said of the Oregon game. “But we won’t do that. We will own it. We’ll get it repaired.”

Let's hope.

SONG OF THE DAY. “Hurt” – Johnny Cash (Nine-Inch Nails).

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