Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches players stretch during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Photo Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Nick Saban did not hide his frustration with Ohio State fans over their treatment of head coach Ryan Day despite their on-field success.
Saban got quite heated during Friday’s “College GameDay” as he called out fans for negativity surrounding the Ohio State program. The former Alabama head coach said the noise is a distraction to players and coaches, and has done nothing to help the team.
“I have a lot of respect for Ryan Day and how he’s tried to do it,” Saban said. “For me, I always wanted to get every player in the organization to reach their full potential. It wasn’t so much about the outcome, it was what you had to do to make everybody better. A big part of that was insulating the players from external factors — criticism, internet. I used to tell the players all the time, ‘Why do you care about what some guy puts on the internet who’s a fat guy in his underwear living in his mother’s basement? Why do you care? Why does that mean anything to you? Why does that affect you in any way, shape, or form? We should be ocused on what we control and what we can do.’