Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day admitted that accepting their loss to the Clemson Tigers during the 2019 Fiesta Bowl was a struggle. According to Day, the loss against the Clemson Tigers was something that “didn’t sit well” with all the players on the team, reports 247 Sports.

Ryan Day said this on Friday when the Ohio State football team was honored because of their championship win in the Big Ten conference. Day and the team were acknowledged during the halftime of the NCAA men’s basketball final between Ohio State and Minnesota. The head coach delivered the speech in front of more than 13,000 fans in Ohio State’s Value City Arena.

However, many fans believe that the action on refs for their controversial decisions might ease the pain of the defeat. Fans also wanted the refs to be sacked from their position.

Ryan Day promises to use loss to Clemson Tigers as motivation

As his team is preparing to compete in the 2020 regular season, Ryan Day pledged to use their loss to Clemson Tigers as motivation to do better. The Ohio State head coach promised that the loss will be forever etched into the memory of his players. They will use it to strive for them to be better in the upcoming season. He also said that the team has already been training with him and assistant athletic director Mick Marotti.

The 2019 season was Day’s first full year as head coach.

Despite the heartbreaking end to the season, he still had a good year, helping to produce two Heisman Trophy finalists in quarterback Justin Fields and defensive end, Chase Young.

Ohio State Buckeyes coaching hires get divisive reception

In related news, the Ohio State Buckeyes added new members to their coaching staff. While the choices may be logical, they carry risk too.

Ohio State hired Kerry Coombs and Corey Dennis as defensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, respectively. These are qualified people who have been in the coaching game for a long time.

But Coombs and Dennis are also filling in positions that they have not had before. This can certainly be risky, considering how unforgiving the Ohio State fanbase can be.

Buckeyes set to rebuild their receiving corps

Meanwhile, the Ohio State Buckeyes will have to strengthen their receiving corps if it wants to get better results in the next season. Multiple players will be leaving the Buckeyes for a professional career this year. This includes defensive end Chase Young, running back J.K. Dobbins, cornerback Jeff Okudah, wide receiver K.J. Hill, and wide receiver Binjimen Victor, who will all be proceeding to the NFL.

The departure of these players will especially impact the team’s receiving corps. Thankfully, quarterback Justin Fields will have a lot of help from wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Ohio State also has a skilled incoming receiver corps in the 2020 class.