Ohio State AD backs coach Ryan Day despite losses to Michigan

COLUMBUS, Ohio - In spite of back-to-back losses to rival Michigan, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith reiterated his confidence in coach Ryan Day, telling ESPN on Tuesday that "he's my CEO" and they've talked about everything from personnel to play-calling and what they "need to do better."

"My standards are high, our team standards are high," Smith said in a wide-ranging interview in his office. "So we talk about how do we get better and how do we make sure we are able to win the championships that we aspire to win? We look at each individual contest that got in the way of that, and we're trying to figure out what's the strategy to mitigate that. When we lose, it's highly…