Ohio State's Ryan Day Offers Strong Reaction To Schedule Backlash

Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day is prioritizing bigger things than fan backlash over his team's schedule.

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes fans are not exactly thrilled that their team will have six straight noon starts to end their regular season.

That includes pivotal games against the Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan Wolverines.

It's definitely frustrating, and it certainly saps a bit of the atmosphere, but Ohio State head coach Ryan Day does not seem to care.

"Listen, I've got to deal with a lot of fan backlash for things other than the times of games, so I'm going to leave that for other people to deal with," Day said, via Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors. "I've got other things I've got to deal with. Whenever they tell us to play, we're going to play. It doesn't matter where it is – it could be on a baseball field, it could be 11 a.m., it could be at night. We're going to put the football down and go play. I'll worry about the team."

Day makes a good point from a football perspective. The Buckeyes' job is to win games. Their job is not to worry about what time the games are played.

That being said, you have to wonder if even Ohio State's players themselves are a bit annoyed by the constant noon start times.

After all, the Buckeyes boast one of the most prestigious programs in the country, so you would think they would get some more favorable time slots.

The last time Ohio State played a night game at home was back in Week 2, when it hosted Western Michigan. Not exactly a marquee matchup.

Day is right in that his primary area of focus is worrying about his team, but Buckeyes fans also have a right to be irritated over the schedule.