Ohio State fans have gained a reputation for being extremely passionate. So much so that the Buckeye alum and the ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit landed in a deep soup by tagging the fandom as “lunatic fringe.” Day and his boys are playing with a clean 7-0 slate. The fans expect perfection now. Day and co. know that all it takes is one unlucky loss to cause the fans to go berserk. Luckily, Day’s close friend is there to rally the crowd and keep the trolls at bay.

On October 24, former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett came up with an IG post. The caption is enough to lift the Buckeyes’ players’ mood. It read, “This might be your best work right here OG aka @timwalton18 … I look forward to these every week. I listen to your messages just as much as the young guys. These kids win because of the adults that are around them. Lots of coaches who care, are passionate and connected to these kids. I see it, live it and I’m around it weekly. This is culture. @ohiostatefb.”

The attached clip had Day’s co-defensive coordinator, secondary, and cornerbacks coach, Tim Walton, reading out motivational lines in rhyme. Holding a paper in his hand, Walton read out as players circled him. “Life ain’t easy, but everything is a blessing. If you don’t make good decisions, you’ll learn the lesson.”

The most relatable part of it? “The number one job is to teach you what you may not be knowing. So let me get this great plan and start from the beginning. No matter what you go through in life, we gotta be winning.” The players erupted in cheers as the coach hyped them up.

Right now, as Day and his boys catch their breath, they have a lot of things on their plate to fix. The Buckeyes haven’t trailed for a single second in the second half all season, an impressive feat. But there’s a potential downside. With a relatively inexperienced quarterback in Julian Sayin, Day’s program may face closer games as the schedule gets tougher come playoffs. While their stout defense, allowing just 5.9 points per game, could keep them ahead, they might eventually find themselves in situations they’re not accustomed to. On the other hand, the Buckeyes hold one of the worst yards per punt in the conference at only 41. In comparison, at no.1 is Sean West out of Wisconsin with 56.2 yards per punt.

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How did Ryan Day and Maurice Clarett build a bond?

Day and Clarett’s times never matched in Columbus. But so what? The Buckeyes head coach accepted Clarett with open arms as the alum returned to the sideline for games at Ohio Stadium for the first time in 21 years in January this year. Day reached out to Clarett, knowing he had helped mentor UConn men’s basketball players as the Huskies won back-to-back NCAA championships.

But what made Day and Clarett bond? On the Jim Jackson Show, the former Buckeye recalled a conversation he had with the head coach. “He said, ‘I really called you in here because I got so much criticism from Buckeye Nation after viewing your story. I started to realize why you had your feelings toward Ohio State and the fanbase. Seeing where you’re at in your life, I actually respect it and would like to form a relationship with you,’” said Clarett. 

So, both he and Day have walked on hot coal. Looks like Clarett’s hype and Walton’s rhymes have hit the right spots. The spirit of competition is in the air. On October 23, Big Ten Football thought of doing a fun activity as Day’s boys are now getting a breather during the bye week. 

One by one, they were asked the same question. “Who could you beat in a 40-yard dash?” Ryan Day’s wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, came up with a fiery reply, “Who can I beat on the team? I’m just gonna say everybody.” Then came defensive end Eddrick Houston’s reply, “Oh, Eric Mensah, Dominic Kirks. We’re gonna keep going Julian Goines-Jackson, Jeremiah Smith.” Houston knew he was simply poking the bear. But it goes to show the camaraderie and grit to win that exists within the Buckeye locker room.