COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Gene Smith and Ryan Day met after the season, the athletic director made it clear he was going “all in” on football. Ohio State heavily investing in football is hardly new, but after three consecutive losses to Michigan, Smith wanted to take it up a notch before retiring this summer.
Advertisement
Smith sketched out a long list of donors that the Buckeyes needed to call. He passed it to his sixth-year head coach.
“Ryan, you need to call these guys,” Smith recalled telling Day. “I can answer the questions, but you’re the football coach.”
The program needed some upkeep on the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, and Smith expects to
→ Continue reading at The New York Times Sports
