Graphic by Ohio State Athletics
It was now or never for Ryan Day and he coached his way to the latter. With his fourth straight loss to that team up north Day proved a lot of things. First and foremost is he just isn’t the guy to be the head coach at Ohio State. His struggles in the biggest games continue to be his Achilles heel.
Harsh Realities for Day
He proved that 2019 was not just the exception and not the rule for his teams but that it was a fluke. 2019 isn’t Day’s one and only win in The Game anymore. That year, and that win are just going to be counted as Urban Meyer’s eighth from now on. Day has turned out to be Brady Hoke if Hoke recruited well. Beating Penn State (who is led by a coach with the same flaw, just slightly worse than Day’s) and Indiana isn’t enough.
Legitimizing the Crooks
The most ironic thing about this loss is it proves that while Jim Harbaugh cheated in 2021, 2022, and 2023, he likely didn’t need to. Not to beat Day, anyway. They wouldn’t have gotten their voided title, but they would’ve still beaten Day’s Buckeyes all three times and Harbaugh could have left with at least an honest winning streak instead of one that is fake no matter how badly his opponent coaches in big games.
Broken Buckeye Hearts
I’m being hard on Coach Day and when you do what he’s done here it’s deserved. But Day’s is a tragic story. He’s a genuinely nice guy. As much as Buckeye Nation is heartbroken, I know Coach Day is dealing with his heart being ripped out. One of his better qualities is how real and sincere he is. Anyone who has lived a life where they face adversity knows that one of the worst feelings in the world is to work hard, be smart, prepare well, do your best and yet repeatedly keep falling short.
Now What?
Coach Day’s sincerity and good character aside can Ohio State afford to keep him? There’s an old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result. Is that where Ohio State is with Ryan Day? To keep throwing someone to the wolves when they are struggling as much as he has in these big games becomes cruel. Starting over becomes not only the prudent thing to do for all parties but the merciful and wise course of action as well.
Can Coach Day earn another season at Ohio State? Is another staff reshuffle enough? Is using NIL to get more portal talent again? Would possible playoff success save him? But who would replace him? Would Marcus Freeman leave Notre Dame? Would Mike Vrabel come home? There are no easy answers to these questions.
Time for a New Day
It is clear that Ohio State can’t keep going in this direction. When you can’t go backward and can’t stay where you are, you must boldly go onward. The Buckeyes must face the tough questions and uncertainty of going onward under different leadership. Or the 2020s will be remembered like the 1990s in Ohio State history, only there is even less of a guarantee now that a Jim Tressel or Urban Meyer would be found to attempt an even more difficult rebuild.
It’s time for a change. Day has to go. It’s that simple. If you truly believe that this game matters the most for Ohio State, you can’t justify keeping Ryan Day any longer. He’s the common denominator here. Ohio State did everything they possibly could to get him in position to get a win this year and he choked again. And on top of all that, we saw him lose his team postgame, and just stand there like a deer in the headlights.
Next
Allowing someone to keep getting beat like this is just as bad for them as an individual as it is for a team. If Coach Day wants to be a successful head coach, it’s time for him to try elsewhere. He’s in over his head. So, if you like him and some Buckeye fans inexplicably still do, then the best thing is to let him go. He can talk the talk but can’t walk the walk and it’s time for a change. The more broken hearts I see today the more I agree with this take by Stephen A. Smith about another coach in Ohio who had long overstayed his tenure.
