Ohio State is proving every other game why they are the No. 1 team in the country. And their 34-0 knockout win against Wisconsin just adds up to it. Just one week after getting shut out at home for the first time since 1980, Wisconsin fell again. All thanks to the suffocating Buckeye defense. But even they got fooled by a late game trick play, forcing Ryan Day to react to the complacency of his elite unit.

In the fourth quarter, when the fate was already decided in Ohio State’s favor, Wisconsin decided to show some creativity. So on a fourth down with 19 yards to go, instead of punting the ball, Badgers’ place kicker Sean West ran for 20 yards and got a first down. No one on the country’s best defense saw it coming. The drive did not result in any points for Wisconsin. But that moment shook Ryan Day as he looked frustrated on the sidelines.

Adam King put up a video of him yelling at the defense with a caption that captures the mood perfectly. “You could hear Ryan Day yelling at the defense on the fourth down from across the field. Here he is on the final play – a different mindset all season long.”

Day’s frustration makes sense because it was a huge gamble that paid off for Wisconsin. After all, they were deep in their own half of the field, and if they had failed, Ohio State would’ve gotten the ball very close to the prime territory. Ohio State’s defense missed a few tackles, which helped make the play successful.

Ryan Day’s defense held the Badgers to just 144 total yards with a turnover. Ohio State has just allowed 41 points in seven games. That’s the best in the league by a large margin. At second place is Oklahoma with 59 points. So it is natural that when such a defense messes up, Day’s frustration will kick in.

Meanwhile the offense was operating at its best, with Julian Sayin completing 36 of 42 passes for 393 yards and 4 touchdowns. His ability to spread the ball effectively added to the passing game. Now, Sayin joins C.J. Stroud, who is the only Buck to complete 80% of his passes for at least 350 yards and 4 TD without an interception. Then came in his receiving corps with Carnell Tate leading with 111 yards and two touchdowns, and Jeremiah Smith adding 97 yards on 9 catches.

But even with all the big moments, Ohio State showed flashes of inconsistency. And that came in from their special teams, which allowed the Sean West play on 4th and 19. On top of that, Jayden Fielding missed a 38-yard field goal. The Buckeyes need to clean up these mistakes before playoffs.

Even Day knows it well, as he clearly mentioned after the game. “We had the special teams breakdown, which we can’t have happen. That can cost you a game. That was ridiculous. … We know what our issues are, and we have to continually work on them to get them better.” Now, with that win, there’s another big celebration waiting for Ryan Day.

Ryan Day’s son shows up clutch in high school thriller

It’s not just Ryan Day who’s making the entire football world take notice. Even his son, RJ Day is creating highlights. And his performance against Harrison proved it. In a very crucial moment when the young Day’s team, St. Francis DeSales, was trailing behind with a 21-20 score, there were just 22 seconds left. RJ Day completed an amazing 22-yard pass that helped set up the game-winning field goal. These are the kind of moments that athletes carry with them for the rest of their lives.

RJ Day is emerging as a legitimate prospect out of Ohio. With his 3-star backing, 18th rank in the state and 54th nationally, he is attracting offers from programs like Boston College, Miami, Syracuse, Akron, and Bowling Green. And his performance has already been turning heads since the start of this season, when he completed 16 of 19 passes for 275 yards with 5 touchdowns, leading his team to a 35-18 victory against Columbus Africentric Early College.

Even last season, he completed 51 of 78 passes for 753 yards and 5 touchdowns, proving his consistency and efficiency. Now, it will be interesting to see if RJ joins his father’s team or carves out his own path of success with another team.