Good morning Eleven Warriors!

Now that we are a month removed from the bliss of the Rose Bowl win, I figured it would be a good time to assess where people's expectations for the program are relative to last season. Even coming off a loss to Alabama in the 2020 CFP, I believe most people expected Ohio State to return to the National Championship this past season — if not outright win it.

I would also guess that most Buckeye fans are elated with the job Ryan Day has done so far through three years on the job. But before this season ended on a positive note, there were more than a few instances of turbulence throughout the schedule in both close games and heartbreaking losses. Day's play-calling versus Michigan in particular was one of the most regular critiques following The Game that upended Ohio State's postseason aspirations.

With that in mind, I would like to ask, do you now feel more or less confident than before last season in Ryan Day winning a national championship at Ohio State?

I will play devil's advocate with my answer and say I am slightly less confident, though I absolutely think the upcoming season presents a more realistic opportunity for a title than 2021 did. Day showed some concerning play-call tendencies at various points in the year that occasionally compromised an otherwise electrically-talented Buckeye offense. The fact that he allowed Coombs to drag down the defense through the loss to Oregon — especially after the Alabama game — was also an error in judgment that he probably wishes he addressed last offseason instead.

So while I am technically less confident than a year ago, I do not see any blatant red flags at the moment. However, next season I will be keeping a much closer eye on the variance within Day's offensive approach than I did for most of 2021.

SECRET BONUS QUESTION: How did you survive the winter storm in the Midwest last week?