Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day is public enemy No. 1 when it comes to the Michigan rivalry. A 0-4 mark in his last four tries could stain his legacy in "The Game" forever, but Day just may have gained a whole new group of haters Wednesday.
With anticipation mounting for the new EA Sports College Football 26 video game set to release in July, social media was quick to react to Day's rendering in the video game as opposed to real life.
Ryan Day in CFB 26 vs in real life 👀🌰 pic.twitter.com/PVxnaph3SC
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) May 28, 2025
"Oh wow that’s pretty bad," one fan wrote.
"Still rocking 2014 graphics," another wrote.
"Looks like it should be for PS2 instead of PS5," another comment read.
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While there was the occasional compliment here and there, the general consensus is that Day's character does not look like the man in real life.
Day has other important things to focus on besides his video game cameo. After all, the Buckeyes won a national title this past season and are on a quest for a repeat bid. Big Ten coaches are beginning to take note of the Buckeyes' recent accomplishments and want the outside world to do the same.
The Sporting News ranked Day as the second-best coach in the sport, only behind Georgia's Kirby Smart.
“The resilience of [Ryan] Day and his staff is really, really remarkable," one coach told Athlon Sports. "I don’t think they get enough credit from the public for how they managed the playoff run after losing to Michigan."
This same coach said Day's dominance shouldn't garner unnecessary criticism regarding the rivalry itself.
"The calls for his job were absolutely ludicrous. Do they need to beat Michigan? Yeah, sure. But this program is at the very top of the sport because of the head coach," the coach added.
Day will get his shot at long-awaited revenge in November in Ann Arbor with a possible trip to the conference title game and College Football Playoff on the line.
Only time will tell whether Day does enough to turn the rivalry in his favor, possibly as soon as this fall.