A suspect special teams switcheroo in the fourth quarter of an Ohio State blowout against Rutgers sparked a heated back-and-forth between Buckeyes coach Ryan Day and Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano, former coworkers/pals, on Saturday.
While up 39 points on Rutgers in the fourth quarter, Ohio State apparently decided to run a fake punt, which punter Jesse Mirco converted for a first down. According to The Athletic‘s Cameron Teague, Day later said Mirco basically called an audible, saw open field in front of him and took off.
Rutgers punt returner Aron Cruickshank didn’t like the fake punt play and gave Mirco a late hit, which sparked some pushing and shoving between the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights.
Naturally, the flags went flying.
The fake punt up by 39 points…
Ohio State is different 😅pic.twitter.com/P8Uq4pU4Qk
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) October 1, 2022
During the brief scuffle, Schiano ran into the line of fire to help defuse the situation. Instead, he wound up getting into a pointing-and-screaming match with Day.
Things are getting heated in Columbus 👀 pic.twitter.com/1ogLILcOKX
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 1, 2022
Of course, refs applied offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to both parties. The game went on as scheduled, with Ohio State completing its 49-10 rout of Rutgers.
After the game, Schiano and Day appeared to let bygones be bygones and hugged it out midfield during the postgame.
You can hear Ryan Day apologize to Greg Schiano during their postgame handshake pic.twitter.com/azMoQplXYl
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) October 1, 2022
Schiano expounded on the late fourth quibbling in the postgame presser, per NJ.com:
“It’s not Ryan Day and I,” he said. “My player was in a sea of Ohio State players and it was closing fast. I wanted to make sure of two things: I wanted to stop our team from coming across the field (because) that’s how things get very ugly, and I wanted to make sure our player got out of there safely. We’re both very competitive guys. I have the utmost respect for Ryan. We’re good friends. We’re good. There’s no problem between us.”
Day also shared his two cents on the squabble, adding that the fake punt wasn’t the drawn-up play by the coaches. Rather, it was a freelancing decision made by Mirco in the moment.
Ryan Day on the dust up with Greg Schiano: pic.twitter.com/BlXtYAxSso
— Dillon Davis (@DillonDavis56) October 1, 2022
For fans of watching two grown men yell at each other on national television, Ohio State-Rutgers gave you your fill.
Plus, it also inspired the brilliant Twitter account, Art But Make It Sports, to find a perfect comparison piece “the American Hogarth” himself, John Lewis Krimmel. That alone is worth the price of admission.
The Village Politicians, by John Lewis Krimmel, 1819, 📸 by @Garrick_Hodge pic.twitter.com/24iCOeoWtJ
— ArtButMakeItSports (@ArtButSports) October 2, 2022
