Ryan Day brushes off Michigan’s Clockgate drama as Ohio State turns its attention to Texas

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has little interest in the controversy surrounding rival Michigan’s disputed win over Western Michigan, a controversy that has been widely dubbed “Clockgate.” Instead, the Buckeyes coach says every minute of preparation is going toward a marquee non-conference matchup.

“I really haven’t been focused on that at all. As you can imagine, it’s all about Texas,” Day said, according to Stefan Krajisnik of Cleveland.com. “That’s it. All of our time. The minute we got done with that game (vs. Ball State), it was onto Texas.”

Michigan’s 13-12 victory became one of the strangest finishes in recent college football memory. After quarterback Bryce Underwood threw the ball out of bounds with the clock apparently expired, one second was restored to the clock, giving the Wolverines one final play. Underwood then launched a Hail Mary that JJ Buchanan hauled in for the game-winning score. The fallout continues: the Mid-American Conference has pushed for an appeal of the outcome, and Michigan dropped out of the AP poll in its aftermath.

Day, meanwhile, is coming off a commanding season opener in which top-ranked Ohio State routed Ball State 56-3. The Buckeyes now travel to Austin to face No. 5 Texas on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in one of the season’s most anticipated early games.

With quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith headlining the offense behind a strong offensive line, Ohio State enters the season viewed as a leading national championship contender. The schedule offers little margin for error, though: after Texas, the Buckeyes host No. 6 Indiana, the defending champions, on Oct. 17, then face No. 2 Oregon on Nov. 7. The annual rivalry game against No. 16 Michigan closes the regular season in Columbus on Nov. 28.

High-profile matchups like Ohio State–Texas are also a driver of interest for the media companies that carry college football. Comcast, whose NBC unit broadcasts Big Ten football, trades in the Communication Services sector; shares of Comcast recently changed hands at $26.22, down 1.41% from a prior close of $26.59, with a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion.

What to watch

• Saturday’s No. 1 vs. No. 5 meeting between Ohio State and Texas in Austin, and how it reshapes the top of the polls.
• Any ruling or appeal stemming from the Michigan–Western Michigan Clockgate review.
• Ohio State’s Oct. 17 game against defending champion Indiana and its Nov. 7 matchup with Oregon.
• Michigan’s standing in future AP polls after its drop following the disputed win.

Source: original release