- Ohio State coach Ryan Day showed maturity and humility after finally defeating Michigan.
- It was a snowy Week 14, making for some fun football weather conditions.
- The Mountain West conference championship matchup was delayed due to a tiebreaker involving computer metrics.
It was a moment Ryan Day waited 2,191 days for.
After four straight losses to That Team Up North, the Ohio State coach finally overcame the biggest obstacle of his career and beat Michigan. It must’ve felt like a million pounds off the shoulders for a national championship-winning coach.
Given all the criticism, taunting and everything else he endured during the losing skid, Day could have easily taken a victory lap Saturday. He could have said every profane word in the book, and you’d have to allow him to do it. It was easy to expect, given this is the same guy who called out Lou Holtz years ago.
Instead, Day took the high road, and showed he’s done a lot of growing up.
He didn’t spend much time relishing in victory to cap off a perfect regular season. He didn’t call out anyone postgame and didn’t do anything outlandish — and he made sure his team didn’t.
After the infamous flag planting incident last season, Day made sure his team didn’t return the favor in Michigan Stadium. He assured Michigan coach Sherrone Moore there was nothing to worry about.
Even when his team tried it, Day stepped in and shut it all down. Why didn’t Day soak it all in? Because he’s shown he’s better than that.
‘I’m going to save all those comments,” he said postgame. “The best thing to do is win with humility.’
Day wants to take the high road. He’d rather let the team do the talking on the field, and it’s done plenty of it as it heads into the Big Ten Championship game.
With Day’s actions, the Buckeyes were able to celebrate the win over the Wolverines and not have any issues or backlash with it. That’s the making of a real fine coach, and that’s why Day leads the best and worst things from Week 14 of the college football season.
Best: Brutus shenanigans
While it was great Ohio State’s coach showed class, it’s all good when the mascot gets some messy fun in.
During the contest, Brutus the Buckeye had some sneaky hijinks when he used the snow to cross out the ‘M’ in the Michigan end zone and then did the script ‘Ohio’ spelling. And yes, he even dotted the ‘i.’
Worst: Headbutting a referee
Officials definitely frustrate fans, coaches and players alike, but there are certain lines you don’t cross. Michigan linebacker Jaishawn Barham did, and he’s lucky he didn’t get disqualified for it.
Late in the first quarter against Ohio State, the Wolverines standout appeared to be speaking with one referee and showed him what an opposing player did on a play, and in doing so, he headbutted the officials. The referee immediately tossed his flag for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Somehow, Barham didn’t get tossed out of the game, because it very much was grounds to do so. Rivalry games can bring out plenty of emotions, but you can’t get too wild.
Best: Snow football
The holiday season has arrived, and the weather gods gave fans a great gift in the final week of the regular season: snow football.
The conditions were frigid across the country, with games like Michigan vs. Ohio State, Minnesota vs. Wisconsin and the blizzard it seemed like Northwestern vs. Illinois.
One of the best moments came in the FCS playoffs, when South Dakota State scored a touchdown over New Hampshire and celebrated by jumping into a snow pile.
Worst: Computers
By the end of Saturday, Nov. 29, the college football world had an idea of every conference championship game — except for the Mountain West.
In the latest example of conference tiebreakers being ridiculous, the Mountain West hasn’t determined its title game because it’s gotten down to the point of it being decided by ‘composite average of computer metrics.’ Four teams — Boise State, New Mexico, San Diego State, and UNLV — are all in the hunt, and all have to wait until rankings drop on Sunday to find out who gets to play for the conference title.
Just when you think you got rid of computers decided games instead of on the field.
Best: Yale’s playoff debut
In the FCS world, the Ivy League made its playoff debut, and the conference champions made quite the impression.
Yale faced No. 15 seed Youngstown State, and the Penguins gave a rude introduction to the postseason with a 35-7 lead at halftime. It looked like Youngstown State would cruise by Yale, but the Bulldogs put on an incredible second half.
After Youngstown State made it 42-14, Yale scored 29 unanswered points, capped off by a 56-yard touchdown run by running back Josh Pitsenberger with less than three minutes left. Yale pulled off a 43-42 victory, and moved onto the second round to face No. 2 Montana State.
While it was a tremendous day for the Ivy League, don’t ask it about Harvard, who lost to Villanova 52-7.
Worst: Another Thom Brennaman moment
Just when you thought he couldn’t top ‘a drive into deep left by Castellanos,’ announcer Thom Brennaman delivers another awkward and weird comment during Boston College vs. Syracuse.
Best: Halftime shows
From bands to dance teams, there have been plenty of cool halftime shows. But perhaps nothing gets weirder yet more hilarious than a Revolutionary War reenactment halftime show, which took place at Coastal Carolina.
Worst: Neutral site rivalry games
There are some rivalry games that are meant to be at neutral sites, like Georgia and Florida. But to move a traditional home-and-home rivalry away from a team’s stadium is a travesty.
That’s what happened in ‘Clean Old-Fashioned Hate,’ with Georgia Tech’s typical home game against Georgia taking place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium instead of its actual home in Bobby-Dodd Stadium. A rivalry that’s been played on campus since 1913, it was done by the Yellow Jackets for practically more money. While it helps Georgia Tech’s pockets, it hurts the tradition of a storied rivalry, and a sign that its hard to preserve some great things.
Best: Marty Smith
We’re all annoyed with how long it took for Lane Kiffin to make a decision on his future, but perhaps no man went through it more than ESPN’s Marty Smith.
The reporter was at the Mississippi facility seemingly all day and night, awaiting a decision to come from the Rebels coach. The constant updates throughout the night seemed like torture as a man just wanted to go home, but you got to appreciate the dedication.