What is Ryan Day's bowl game record? How Ohio State coach has fared ahead of Cotton Bowl

Sahil Kurup, USA TODAY NETWORK
Sep 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads his team onto the field prior to the NCAA Division I football game against the Toledo Rockets at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day is set to rally his players for the sixth bowl game of his tenure with the Buckeyes, kicking off against No. 9 Missouri (10-2, 6-2 in SEC play) in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday.

The seventh-ranked Buckeyes (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) will look to finish the season on a strong note after a third-straight loss to Michigan in "The Game," the latest by a 30-24 margin. A win vs. Eli Drinkwitz's Tigers team would serve as a palate cleanser to the season, but the Buckeyes will face not only a tough final test to end their season.

Ohio State must also buck a recent trend of bowl-game struggles under Day, who has led the team to two wins in five bowl game appearances. Three of those matchups were in a berth in the College Football Playoff, with the other two coming against New Year's Six opponents.

REQUIRED READING: Ohio State's Ryan Day, assistants due nearly $1.8 million in bonuses for Cotton Bowl berth

Here's everything you need to know about Day's bowl record with Ohio State.

Ryan Day bowl record

Since becoming the full-time head coach of Ohio State in 2019, Day has led the Buckeyes to a bowl game every season, all of which have come in tne New Year's Six or CFP. He has a 2-3 record in those postseason matchups.

In Day's first bowl game with the Buckeyes, an undefeated Ohio State squad took a 29-23 loss to Clemson in the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl. However, Day and the Buckeyes returned to the College Football Playoff semifinal the next season, getting revenge on the Tigers in a 49-28 win at the Sugar Bowl before losing 52-24 in the national championship game to Alabama.

Last season, the 11-1 Buckeyes marched into the Peach Bowl to face Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal and nearly knocked off the defending national champs — but kicker Noah Ruggles' would-be, game-winning 50-yard field goal sailed wide left and ended the Buckeyes' championship hopes.

Here's a look at Ohio State's bowl games under Day, including ranking and final results:

  • 2019 Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Clemson 29, No. 2 Ohio State 23

  • 2021 Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Ohio State 49, No. 2 Clemson 28

  • 2021 CFP championship: No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24

  • 2022 Rose Bowl: No. 6 Ohio State 48, No. 11 Utah 45

  • 2022 Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia 42, No. 4 Ohio State 41

REQUIRED READING: After reeling from Michigan loss, OSU's Jackson excited for Cotton Bowl in native Texas

Ohio State bowl record

The Buckeyes bowl record stands at 27-28 since the football program's first appearance in the 1921 Rose Bowl (part of the 1920 college football season). Ohio State finished the game scoreless in a 28-0 loss to the Cal Golden Bears, and have since appeared in 13 different bowl games.

Ohio State is 2-12 all-time in bowl games against SEC opponents, but will look to add a tally to the win column against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes have been featured in the Cotton Bowl four times and have a 2-2 record, the most recent appearance coming in a 24-7 win over USC in 2017.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ryan Day bowl game record: How Ohio State football coach has fared

Advertisement