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Ryan Day says 2020 Buckeyes could have been ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ team
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Ohio State was a favorite heading into the 2020 season. Not only were the Buckeyes expected to retain their crown as kings of the B1G, but they were a threat to win a second national title in the College Football Playoff era.
We’ll never know what the 2020 version of Ohio State could’ve accomplished this fall, had all the pieces fallen into place and allowed for a season to move forward. But there’s no question in Ryan Day’s mind that the Buckeyes could’ve had a special year.
Delivering the news to the team about the B1G’s decision was one of the toughest things Day has had to do in his young coaching career.
“What I said to the team the other day is the truth: As a player, you work your whole life and as a coach, you work your whole life for an opportunity to coach a team like this. This team is special,” Day said according to Eleven Warriors. “It’s special because it’s talented. It’s special because it has leadership. It’s special because of the character. It could have been in a once-in-a-lifetime team.
“Certainly the team last year I’ll never forget. It was the first time as a head coach, and what they did was awesome, but there was just something about this team that had it. It had it. They came back hungry after their last game on the field. They were determined. And this quarantine, this virus was not going to get in their way.”
Ohio State finished with a 13-1 record in 2019, winning a B1G title and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff in Day’s first season as head coach. There was an excitement to see what the Buckeyes could do on the field in Year 2.
We’ll never know just how good this team could have been in 2020.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB