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| - A rumor that the Ohio State Buckeyes fired head coach Ryan Day one day after the college football team's annual matchup with the Michigan Wolverines is circulating online.
On Nov. 30, 2024, Michigan defeated Ohio State in Ohio Stadium — nicknamed "The Horseshoe" — by a score of 13-10. Fox Sports reported the unranked Wolverines entered the game — dubbed "The Game" — as a 19.5-point underdog, making their victory over the No. 2 Buckeyes the largest upset in the rivalry since at least 1978.
Minutes after the game ended, Wolverines players attempted to plant a Michigan flag in the center of Ohio State's field. A brawl ensued between players of both teams. Police used pepper spray to break up the melee. The Ohio State University Police Department issued a statement about the incident, saying, in part, it "will continue to investigate."
Under Day's leadership since 2019, Ohio State had only won one game against Michigan — in 2019. The teams did not play in 2020. Michigan has since won all four matchups between 2021 and 2024.
Ohio State Did Not Fire Day
Following the Michigan loss, numerous online users shared the purported news of Ohio State firing Day.
For example, the TikTok user Bleacher Feed (@bleacherfeed) reported in a video (archived) viewed by nearly 400,000 users, "Breaking News: Ohio State Fired Head Coach Ryan Day." The narrator of the video said, in part, "Ohio State football coach Ryan Day has officially been fired. He was told to step down as the head coach."
Users on Facebook, Threads and X also shared the rumor that Ohio State fired Day on the Sunday following the Saturday loss. Further, at least two users on X falsely claimed — whether in jest or not — that ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the firing.
However, the truth was Ohio State did not fire Day on the day after the Michigan loss, so we rated the claim as false. Rather, Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork threw his support behind Day on the day following the game.
Ohio State AD Said He Still Supports Day
The Columbus Dispatch exclusively reported that Bjork said Day continued to have his support.
"Coach Day does a great job leading our program. He's our coach," Bjork said. "We're disappointed (with Saturday's loss) but he's our coach."
The Dispatch further published, "As for all the vitriol directed at Day and whether he'd be swayed by public opinion, Bjork replied with a chuckle, 'Let's go make a run in the playoff. That's all I'm going to say. Let's go make a run in the playoff. That's what we've got to do.'"
Buckeyes' Playoff Hopes
CBS Sports and analysts with other sports media outlets believed Ohio State would still make it into the inaugural 12-team college football playoff later in December, despite sustaining their second loss of the year to Michigan.
In rankings separate from the CFP committee, the AP college football poll released on Dec. 1 only dropped the Buckeyes five spots to No. 7 after the Michigan game.
ESPN was expected to reveal the penultimate CFP committee rankings on Dec. 3, followed by the final rankings on Dec. 8.
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