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Things have gotten intense for Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, and ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit isn't staying quiet about it. Day's been hit with a barrage of death threats from a slice of the OSU fanbase, pushing him to beef up security with a 24/7 armed guard outside his home.
This mess kicked into high gear after the Buckeyes' fourth straight loss to Michigan on November 30, 2024-a 13-10 heartbreaker that left fans fuming despite Day's stellar 66-9 record. Herbstreit, a former OSU quarterback turned analyst, stepped up to defend his friend, calling out the "lunatic fringe" even as he's wrestling with his own personal struggles.
Herbstreit's been vocal since Day's troubles escalated post-Michigan. "I'm a friend of Ryan Day's... I hear things that he and his family go through," he said on The Pat McAfee Show in December. "It really frustrates me that he has to deal with putting an armed guard outside of his house 24/7 for his own fanbase."
Day's wife, Christina, and their son have faced threats too, turning a football beef into a personal nightmare. Herbstreit, who's been open about losing his dog Ben to cancer in late 2024-a blow he called "gut-wrenching" on air-still found the grit to back Day, showing how deep this hits for him.
Death threats on Ryan Day spark Herbstreit's OSU fanbase rant
The OSU fanbase is legendary for its ion, but this dark turn's got folks talking. After the Buckeyes' playoff win over Tennessee, Herbstreit doubled down during the broadcast: "The lunatic fringe at Ohio State is as powerful as anywhere in the country," estimating it's grown to "15 to 20%" of fans, per Sports Illustrated.
He's not wrong about the heat-Day's 2-3 playoff record and those Michigan loses have some calling for his head, even after a national title run ended with a 42-31 win over Notre Dame on January 20, 2025. Trending chatter on X shows fans split-some blast the threats as "way over the line," others vent that Day's "big-game flops" justify the rage.
Herbstreit's stance isn't just about loyalty-he's lived the OSU pressure cooker himself. "I get frustrated because I hear the real deal story from his wife, and from his family," he added on McAfee's show. Despite his own grief and the flak he's taken from Buckeyes fans-like blowback over his son Chase ing Michigan-Kirk's sticking to his guns. Day's turned the corner with that championship, but the threats? They're a stark reminder of fandom's wild side, and Herbstreit's not letting it slide quietly.