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Ohio State fans and administrators have been in a weird place with head coach Ryan Day over the last month. Day and the Buckeyes lost at home to a sub-par Michigan team in the final day of the regular season, which was their fourth straight loss to their rivals from up north. However, they still made the playoffs and dismantled Tennessee 42-17 in the first round of the College Football Playoff last Saturday in a game that wasn’t even as close as the score indicates.

COLUMBUS – Quarterback Alex Orji #10 of the Michigan Wolverines runs with the ball during the first quarter of a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)

What matters more … the rivalry with Michigan or a chance to win a national championship? Legendary Alabama coach and current ESPN analyst Nick Saban thinks that it should be the latter. He was asked about the situation with Day in his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Nick Saban, ESPN GameDay commentator, speaks prior to the game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium on October 26, 2024. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

“You know, we’ve kind of gotten on their, sort of, fans a little bit. But, you know, these Ohio State fans, 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. “They have a chance to win the national championship and here you are, you know, and nobody’s excited about their opportunity to play because they, you know, lost to Michigan, which was a tough game and they lost the game, probably, by some of the mistakes that they made so those are correctable things.”

COLUMBUS – An Ohio State Buckeyes fan cheers before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Playoff First Round Game at Ohio Stadium on December 21, 2024.  (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Whew … “psychotic obsession?” That’s not going to resonate well.

Ohio State fans … don’t pile on Saban. He’s also very high on the Buckeyes.

“Yeah, I think they’re the most talented team. But, you know, you mentioned A-game. How consistently do they play to their capabilities? I think that’s the consistency and performance that you’re looking for to be successful,” he said. “If they play like they played against Tennessee, they’re going to have a really good chance to have a chance to win a championship … I think this is probably the most talented team if they play to the standard and the level. Offense, defense … they pretty much have it all.”

This echos what fellow ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit said during the waning minutes of Ohio State’s win over the Volunteers when he called the fans calling for Day to be fired the ‘lunatic fringe.’

“I’m sure they’ll be happy tonight, fired up about what Ohio State did, but God forbid they lose to Oregon, they’ll want to fire him again,” Herbstreit said.

COLUMBUS – Head coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes lines up to take the field prior to a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium on November 30, 2024. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)

This whole debate speaks to a situation that will arise quite a bit in the new era of the 12-team playoff. There will be more coaches at schools with fans and administrators who live in a world where it’s mandatory to not only beat the most heated rival, but also go on to win a national title essentially every season. That’s not reality, of course. There are ultra-talented teams and coaches spread out all over college football, and perfection is nearly impossible nowadays.

There needs to be more nuance when it comes to the playoff and rivalry games. Early exits from the CFP are going to happen. Losses in rivalry games are going to happen. The truth is, being in the discussion for the CFP on “selection Sunday” is a big deal … even if there’s a loss to a heated rival on the resume.

Why?

Because CFP appearances bring more money to the bank accounts of the school, its coaches and players. That will lead to long-term success.