Ohio State's Ryan Day draws fire for watching his son play the night before Oregon loss

Ohio State's 41-28 home loss to Oregon on Saturday gave the Buckeyes their third defeat of the season, and the criticism of Ryan Day quickly spread past play-calling and personnel. Some fans have gone after the coach for spending Friday night, the eve of the game, at a high school playoff game in northeast Ohio.

As HEAVY reported, Day traveled to Massillon, reportedly by plane, to watch his son RJ. RJ is the senior starting quarterback for Columbus St. Francis DeSales, which was playing Massillon in a regional quarterfinal of the OHSAA playoffs. Photos showed Day on the sideline in a purple DeSales sweatshirt. The night went badly for the visitors. Massillon won 48-0 and held DeSales to two first downs, so the game was likely RJ's last in high school. Day then returned to Columbus for the final preparations before kickoff against the Ducks.

HEAVY's Billy Heyen called the complaint unfair, writing that the coach should be allowed "to simply be a dad once in a while," and noted that Massillon head coach Nate Moore also defended Day. Plenty of fans online agreed. The anger tells you more about where Ohio State stands than about the trip itself. A team built to contend now has three losses, and HEAVY wrote that the Oregon result probably ends the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff hopes.

The trip also has an awkward link to this week. RJ Day is headed to Northwestern to play quarterback, and Northwestern is the next team to visit Ohio Stadium.

What it means for Northwestern

Ohio State is 6-3 and has lost two straight, falling 30-18 at USC before Saturday's loss to Oregon. Before that, the Buckeyes had won five in a row, a run that included a 31-14 win at No. 14 Iowa and a 19-15 win at No. 5 Indiana. They also lost 24-23 at No. 4 Texas in September. The last two weeks have exposed both sides of the ball. Oregon's 41 points are the most Ohio State has allowed this season, and the offense has scored 18 and 28 in the two losses after putting up 40-plus three times earlier in the year.

Northwestern comes to Columbus on Saturday, November 14, on Fox. The Wildcats were ranked No. 20 when they lost 34-26 at Oregon, a score close to the one the Ducks put up against Ohio State.

The board still has Ohio State as a clear favorite, despite the slide. Across 12 venues, Ohio State is favored by 11.5 on Novig at -108, and Northwestern is +11.5 at -115. Not every venue has the same number. BetMGM gives Northwestern the most points, +12 at -110, and FanDuel has the shortest Ohio State spread, -10.5 at -114. That leaves a 1.5-point gap between the venues. On the moneyline, Novig has Ohio State at -400 and Northwestern at +355. Novig sets the total at 46.5, with the over at -122 and the under at even money. BetMGM is a point higher at 47.5. Sportsbook hold on the spread runs from 3.8% to 6.8%.

The Oregon loss also reshuffles the conference race. The Ducks are 6-3, with two of those wins coming against Big Ten teams Ohio State and Northwestern, and they host Michigan next as a 10.5-point favorite on Novig. Ohio State has three games left in November to show the last two weeks were a slump and not a sign of where the season is going. Day's weekend at Massillon is unlikely to decide that.