Bulletpoints: UCLA

• How many times the past few Ohio State games has the broadcast cut to a shot of Ryan Day –even when they're winning comfortably– and he looks irritated or exasperated as hell? It's been a common theme all season, but it feels like it's ratchetted up a bit since we hit November.

Even from the outside looking in, it's easy to tell that Day has a different demeanor now than he did pre-title. My take is that winning it all showed Day that simply winning these games –even by large margins– doesn't cut it if consistent excellence isn't attached to it. Even then, there's always something they can improve on! There's a different level of accountability for everyone, regardless of situation or score. The people who'd actually know these things for sure (the players) confirm that idea:

The 2021-2023 Ohio State teams are my least favorite Buckeye squads ever, solely because of their lack of accountability. Consistent issues that popped up throughout those seasons (Special teams, short-yardage, fighting through adversity, etc.) were dismissed because, "Hey, we won the game!" That's why it was always so aggravating when those issues cost those teams in pivotal moments. It's why Day said he came to a realization about the Georgia loss after the national title:

Day moving different than he has in years past alone doesn't guarantee he and this team will finally conquer their demons at Michigan in two weeks. This isn't a perfect team by any means, and they aren't unbeatable. The way Day leads them now makes me feel confident that they aren't settling just because they're 10-0, though. November is here, and Day knows exactly what's at stake.