Ohio
Is the Oregon Ducks Game a Must-Win for Ohio State Coach Ryan Day?
The Ohio State Buckeyes have yet to play a down in the 2024 season and yet speculation has started regarding the status of head coach Ryan Day.
Much of the discontent with Day is his record against Michigan, better known in Columbus as “that team up north.” In four meetings, Day is 1-3 while previous coaches, Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer, were a combined 16-1 against the Wolverines.
In order to reach their goals of beating Michigan, winning a Big Ten title and a national championship, the Buckeyes must also deal with an explosive Oregon Ducks’ offense and one of the best defenses in the country.
The margin for error is quite small although Day has taken significant steps to improve his team. The first bit of good news for him was the announcement from 11 players who decided to return to Columbus for their senior season. The first to opt in was Ohio State defensive end, Jack Sawyer, who did not hesitate to spell out what all 11 were thinking.
“We came back with one purpose and one goal, and that’s to beat the Team Up North and win a national championship,” Sawyer said.
One other move made by Day that stands out is the hiring of former Oregon and UCLA coach, Chip Kelly, as the offensive coordinator. Losing to Michigan last season and a desire to return to the top of the Big Ten were said to be the reasons Day gave up his play-calling duties.
Make no mistake, Day understands that high expectations are part of the job description at Ohio State.
“Now, our guys, they know what the expectation is,” Day said recently. “You’ve heard some of them say what their goals are. We’re not going to shy away from that. We want to win the rivalry game, be right in this stadium right here and win this Big Ten championship, win a national championship. We know that.”
Given his situation, a win against Oregon may not lock in a playoff spot or a Big Ten championship, but a loss could be devastating. Some of the more vocal fans and members of the media believe a failure to achieve the stated goals may mean a head coaching change. To that point, former Michigan receiver and Super Bowl XXXI MVP, Desmond Howard, offered his thoughts on a recent episode of ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“It’s like this. I think the people at Ohio State just pushed all of their chips to the center of the table,” Howard said. “They went and spent about $13 million on free agents – well, college football’s version of free agency with the portal and NIL.”
“Some fans would say, ‘Well if we got rid of Ryan Day, who will we hire?’ They went out and hired Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator,” Howard explained. “If things go awry, I think they have somebody who’s behind Ryan Day where they can say, ‘Chip Kelly can be the next coach too.”
There is little doubt that Kelly has been an offensive innovator throughout his coaching career including stops in New Hampshire, Oregon Ducks, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and the UCLA Bruins. His decision to take the job at Ohio State was a surprise to many. However, it was likely inevitable that he leave. Bruins’ fans and boosters were not happy with the results, although wins were trending higher, and Kelly was looking for a change.
When pressed for details behind his decision, Kelly told media at Ohio State that he felt at ease in coaching UCLA’s quarterbacks before the LA Bowl and this role allowed him to focus on football. As to a return to the top job, Kelly’s prior actions reveal his dislike for some of the responsibilities typically handled by the head coach.
Simply said, Kelly would seem to prefer to study the game rather than handling issues like recruiting, meeting with alumni and boosters, communicating to the press, selling the program, etc. It was said in Oregon he declined to travel to Portland to attend booster meetings, alienating some important team donors. The takeaway from this is that Kelly can excel in building an offense but may lack the desire to deal with all that is outside the football field.
Lasty, there is an odd twist relevant to Day losing or not losing his job. Many believe that as long as the Buckeyes beat Michigan, Day’s job is safe even if there is no Big Ten title or national championship. While that may seem extreme, it reflects the depth of the rivalry between these two teams. Now, with a talented Oregon team (ranked second in the Big Ten) on the schedule, there are even more challenges for Day to face.
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Mrs. Mary Lucille Young, 74, of Youngstown, departed this life on Friday, April 10, 2026 at her residence where God welcomed her home.
Mary, affectionately known as “Mary Lou” and “Tang”, was born March 8, 1952 in Youngstown, a daughter of Lawrence and Ada Mae Alexander Hamilton Young.
She was a proud 1971 graduate of South High School.
Mary was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.
She attended Louis Weinberger Hill Beauty School, and was accepted as a model with Barbizon Modeling Agency.
Mary worked and retired from Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
She enjoyed looking her best, dancing, shopping, casinos and decorating her home. Mary was strong, bold and took no mess. She was loved by many people.
She leaves to cherish her memories, her pride and joy, two daughters, Adalatesha Bright and Richlynn Bright; two sons, Ja-Juan Young and Dr. Ty-Juan Bright all of Youngstown; five grandchildren; two sisters, Cynthia (Floyd) Davis, Janet (Steve) Gardner both of Youngstown; and a host of family and friends.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lamar Young; three brothers, Isaiah, Edward, Lorenzo Young.
Private services were held at the L.E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lucille Young, please visit our floral store.
The NWSL is once again expanding, this time the league is heading to Ohio where Columbus NWSL 2028 will take the field. Of course, Columbus NWSL 2028 is a placeholder for now and the the new team will unveil its name, crest, and uniform to build an identity around as it approaches its first season.
News of the club was announced yesterday, though this has been in the works for some time, in a press conference. Team owners, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, spoke about what they hope the club will bring to Columbus and women’s soccer more broadly.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.”
Nationwide insurance has been a corporate partner in both NWSL and MLS for years and now joins an ownership group deepening those ties. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring young athletes across Central Ohio, elevating women’s professional sports and reminding the world that Columbus is a first-class sports city,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer. “As Nationwide marks 100 years, this is a powerful way to celebrate our milestone with the community that has been our home from the very beginning.”
The Edwards family has deep roots in the Columbus soccer scene with Dr. Pete Edwards serving as team doctor for the Crew in 1996 and the family joining the team’s ownership in 2019 during the Save The Crew effort. “Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community. It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch,” said Dr. Christine Edwards. “We’re very excited to partner with Haslam Sports Group and Nationwide for NWSL Columbus 2028, and we can’t wait to share even more memorable moments with fans, especially during the Club’s first game at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The NWSL has continued its expansion with the announcement and the team will join Atlanta in its inaugural season in two years.
Ohio
Ex-Ohio State president Ted Carter’s girlfriend would sneak through campus garage to get to his office, report reveals
Disgraced ex-Ohio State President Ted Carter repeatedly snuck his alleged failing podcaster lover through a campus garage for secret visits to his office as he funneled university resources into her business ventures, a shocking new report claims.
The report into the circumstances behind Carter’s abrupt exit from his cushy $1.5 million-a-year role last month detailed his secret office rendezvous with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout Podcast,” and at least five trips he took with her.
The duo jetted off to Richmond, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Las Vegas – with the married 66-year-old allegedly cooking up a fake business excuse for one trip, the report released Tuesday by the college found.
One social media post showed the pair at a Colorado Springs conference in January, with the ex-prez smiling next to Vlachos, who is clad in an all-black leather getup.
Carter – married to Lynda Carter for nearly 45 years – admitted giving Vlachos “inappropriate access” to university leadership and public resources to boost her private business when he voluntarily resigned.
The probe found he tapped at least 14 staffers to help his purported paramour, who hosted a veteran-focused podcast, including efforts to score her a university job, campus space, support staff, and financial backing from the school and outside agencies like JobsOhio for different business ventures.
“Carter’s actions betrayed Ohio State’s shared values and violated university policy,” the 47-page report said, adding his “wide-ranging” efforts dragged on for almost two years.
“Carter had a close personal and business relationship with Vlachos and he allowed that relationship to improperly influence his actions and impair his judgement.”
JobsOhio shelled out $60,000 to the prexy’s reported flame to produce four podcast episodes about veteran issues – though only one was completed, the agency said last month.
The company, which said its decision to invest was driven by Carter’s recommendation, is now trying to “clawback” the funds after all of Vlacho’s poorly performing podcast episodes were hastily removed from YouTube and other streamers when the scandal erupted.
Carter – who served as a Top Gun pilot and instructor during 38 years in the Navy – admitted in one episode he was a “frequent flyer” on the floundering show, appearing as a guest at least nine times since 2024.
JobsOhio also dished out $10,000 to sponsor a January 2025 event for vets and military families at Ohio State, calling it an “opportunity that Ms. Vlachos brought our attention.”
The agency’s handouts for Vlachos came to an end after she requested a $2.9 million investment in her proposed mobile app, which aimed to help Ohio veterans get jobs.
An Ohio State spokesman previously confirmed officials were investigating an LLC registered to Vlachos at a university-owned building, in connection with the ex-leader’s departure.
Carter and Vlachos have not responded publicly to the relationship allegations.
With Post wires.
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