Ohio State is preparing for a College Football Playoff quarterfinals matchup with top-seeded Oregon at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
Yet many Buckeyes fans aren’t looking ahead, but still looking back at their team’s 13–10 loss to Michigan (7–5). Despite having an opportunity to win a national championship, a sizable contingent of Ohio State supporters resent head coach Ryan Day for losing four consecutive games to the Wolverines.
In Nick Saban’s view, those fans probably need therapy.
“These Ohio State fans, you know, they’ve got a psychotic obsession with Michigan and they need to go get therapy or something to try to get it fixed,” Saban said during a Friday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“Because they have a chance to win the national championship and here you are,” he added, “and nobody’s excited about their opportunity to play because they lost to Michigan, which was a tough game and they lost the game, probably, by some of the mistakes that they made. Those are correctable things.”
As Saban said, the No. 8 seeded Buckeyes looked like a national title contender in soundly defeating Tennessee, 42–17.
“I think this is probably the most talented team if they play to the standard and the level. Offense, defense – they pretty much got it all,” he added.
Saban was also critical of the Ohio State fanbase’s negativity prior to the first-round CFP matchup with Tennessee last Saturday.
Nick Saban weighs in on Ohio State:
“They have an opportunity to win the National Championship. Everybody oughta be supporting the hell out of them so that they have the best opportunity to do it and quit all this negative bullshit.” pic.twitter.com/Nfa4FIWay4
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 20, 2024
“If Ohio State wants to beat Michigan, they need to be positive about their coach and their players,” he said on “ESPN College GameDay.” “They have an opportunity to win the national championship. Everybody ought to be supporting the hell out of them so that they have the best opportunity to do it, and quit all this negative bull****.”
Saban’s remarks came after fellow ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit upset Ohio State fans (and some of his network colleagues) called out the “lunatic fringe” who wanted head coach Ryan Day fired.
The Buckeyes trouncing the Volunteers appears to have eased some of the outrage toward Day and the players. Yet the temperature will likely turn back up with a loss to Oregon, especially if it’s decisive. Ohio State lost a Week 7 matchup with the Ducks in Eugene, 32–31, when time ran out on its final drive.
The Rose Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Oregon kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 1. The winner will face the victor of the Texas-Arizona State quarterfinal on Jan. 10.
