'Fake' photo of Ohio State coach Ryan Day's shock piercing sparks frenzy on social media

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day left fans in disbelief on Saturday after a picture of him sporting a nipple piercing went viral online - before one user claimed all is not as it seems in the photo.

Day, who is in his seventh season with national champions the Buckeyes, saw his team earn an opening 14-7 victory at home to the Texas Longhorns on the first college football weekend of the season.

Prior to the game, the 46-year-old caused a major stir on social media when he appeared to suffer a wardrobe malfunction, with a photo of him at Ohio Stadium seemingly showing a nipple piercing poking through his polo shirt.

Fans were stunned to discover that Day apparently had the unusual choice of piercing, including one who wrote on X: 'Ain't no way..... lol wow'.

'Did not have this on my bingo card,' said another.

While a third asked: 'Is this real?'

In the end, one user answered that question by sharing another picture of Day at Saturday's game, which suggests he does not have a nipple piercing and that the other photo is therefore a fake.

'Wow what's happening this fake Ryan Day pic is going nuts,' wrote @Rupp45, who posted the 'real' image of the Buckeyes coach from their win over the Longhorns.

It is unclear which image is real and which is fake, although other snaps from Ohio State's win over Texas appears to show that Day does not have a nipple piercing.

The former New Hampshire quarterback and linebacker won his first national title with the Buckeyes last season, ending their 10-year wait for a championship.

Victory over Notre Dame in the 2024 championship game saw his team get over the line, having finished with a 14-2 record in the Big Ten Conference before advancing to the playoffs. 

Next up for Day and Ohio State after their win over Texas is the visit of the Grambling State Tigers next Saturday.