ATLANTA — As the clock hit zero and a national championship was secured, Ohio State‘s Ryan Day ripped off his headset, grabbed the battery pack on his waist and chucked both through the air in a moment he could only describe as a strange mix of indescribable emotions.
“I looked back,” Day said the morning after the 34-23 win against Notre Dame, “and I forgot I even did that.”
Forgive Day for losing himself in the moment. These last 51 days have been perhaps the toughest and most emotionally draining days for himself, his wife and three kids. The 13-10 loss to Michigan on Nov. 30 — the Buckeyes’ fourth straight defeat in the most heated rivalry in college sports — not only coaxed the media and fans to question whether the coach could lead the Buckeyes to their lofty goal of a national title, but it also sent the vocal minority of passionate Ohio State fans into a frantic, despicable tizzy.
Day received death threats, Ohio State players said this week, and his children were not immune from the negative feedback at school where classmates and teachers spewed criticism. The family was also provided around-the-clock police protection amid the threats, according to The Athletic.
“The weeks between…
