You finally did it. You climbed the mountain. You're Ryan Day, and after years of hearing about how you "born on third base," you’ve just led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame to win the 2025 National Championship. The headset is off. The Gatorade is drying on your pullover. You're basically floating.
Then, you hit a wall. Literally.
The Ryan Day golf cart wreck is one of those rare sports moments that shouldn't be funny because it involves a multi-million dollar coach and star players, but honestly, it’s hilarious. It’s the kind of thing that happens when the universe decides you’ve had too much success for one night and needs to remind you that you’re still just a guy on a plastic seat.
The Most Embarrassing Victory Lap in History
The game was over. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was a sea of scarlet and gray. Ryan Day, along with quarterback Will Howard and linebacker Cody Simon, hopped onto a golf cart to head to the postgame press conference. It’s a standard move. You’re tired, the stadium is massive, and you’ve got media obligations.
But the driver—a stadium staffer who was likely more than a little nervous—seemed to have a bit of a lead foot.
According to Day himself, they were "gunning it." They weren't just cruising; they were weaving through people on the field like it was a Mario Kart race. Then they hit the tunnel. If you've seen the video, you know the exact moment things went south. The driver tried to navigate a turn in a tight space, panicked, and instead of hitting the brakes, she gassed it.
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SMACK.
The front of the cart slammed into a concrete wall with enough force to snap the front axle. This wasn't a "love tap." It was a legitimate collision.
Why the Ryan Day Golf Cart Wreck Went Viral
The internet moves fast, but Buckeye fans move faster. Within minutes, footage from bystanders in the tunnel was everywhere. What made it go truly nuclear on social media wasn't just the crash itself—it was the reactions of the people on the cart.
- Will Howard: The quarterback was absolutely losing it. He was laughing his tail off. When you just won a ring, a little fender bender isn't going to ruin your vibe.
- Cody Simon: Much like Howard, he found the whole thing ridiculous.
- Ryan Day: Day looked like he’d seen a ghost. He was gripping the side rails for dear life. He later joked on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that he felt like he was in an Austin Powers movie. You know the scene—the one where Austin gets the shuttle stuck in the hallway and just keeps shifting back and forth? That was Ohio State's national championship celebration in a nutshell.
It was a total "back to earth" moment. One minute you're a god in Columbus; the next, you're wondering if your insurance covers "stadium tunnel incidents."
The "Austin Powers" Comparison and the Fallout
The comparison to the 1997 comedy classic isn't just a fan theory; Day embraced it. He told Fallon, "I said, 'We’re in an Austin Powers movie right now.'" The visual of the cart wedged against the wall, unable to move, while the driver desperately tried to figure out the reverse gear (which apparently didn't work after the impact) is peak comedy.
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The cart was effectively totaled. The "traveling party," which included Athletic Director Ross Bjork and some security detail, had to ditch the wreck and walk the rest of the way to the media room.
Imagine being a reporter waiting for the winning coach, expecting him to walk in looking like a conquering hero, and instead, he arrives a little disheveled because his Uber-Golf-Cart crashed into a wall.
Was Anyone Actually Hurt?
Thankfully, no. While the jolt was significant—Day mentioned he was lucky his leg wasn't hanging out of the vehicle—everyone walked away with just a funny story. Day did joke that he might "send his medical bills to the CFP," but it was all in good fun.
The driver, however, probably wanted the floor to swallow her whole. The Ohio State golf team even got in on the action later, releasing a "safety video" on how to use a golf cart, specifically reminding people that there is, in fact, a reverse button. Brutal.
Lessons from the Mercedes-Benz Tunnel
There’s a weirdly deep life lesson here. You can prepare for everything—you can recruit the best players, spend thousands of hours on film, and execute a perfect game plan against Notre Dame—but you can’t account for a nervous driver and a concrete wall.
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The Ryan Day golf cart wreck is now a permanent part of Ohio State lore. It’s the "Sad Pizza" of 2025, but with a much happier ending because they actually won the game this time.
If you’re ever in a position of extreme success, just remember Ryan Day. Enjoy the win, throw the headset, take the Gatorade bath. But maybe, just maybe, keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. And if you’re the one driving the coach of a national championship team, maybe take a deep breath before you hit the gas.
Key Takeaways for Future Celebrations:
- Always check the driver's "stadium tunnel" credentials before boarding.
- The "Reverse" gear is your friend in tight spaces.
- If you're going to crash, do it after winning the Natty, not after losing to Michigan. The memes are way more forgiving.
For those looking to relive the moment, the videos are still circulating on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter). Just search for "Ryan Day Austin Powers" and you'll find everything you need to see. It’s a classic reminder that even at the highest level of sports, things can get a little bit clumsy.
Keep an eye on the 2026 season—if Ohio State makes another run, expect the golf cart escort to be replaced by something a bit more... heavy-duty. Or maybe they'll just make the coach walk.