Getting over the hump and winning four consecutive “big games” changed the coach’s reputation, but significant roadblocks could keep him from building on it.
While anyone not part of Buckeye Nation was tut-tutting the Ohio State fan base for believing that Ryan Day should start beating Michigan (again), winning the Big Ten (again), and beating someone not named Clemson in the College Football Playoff, no one understood that mindset better than Day himself.
Day understood the assignment. He has discussed it numerous times, and he worked hard trying to do those things. Sometimes he probably overthought things, and other times, well, sometimes the team you coach simply doesn’t execute.
Because Day still hasn’t won The Game since his first year at the helm of the Buckeyes, and his last Big Ten title came in 2020, it was understandable that a loss to the most mediocre Wolverines team since the squad that opted out of the rivalry matchup during COVID — one that cost the Buckeyes a trip to Indy to square off again with Oregon — had fans upset.
While the media focused on the most unhinged instances, such as the abuse Day and his wife were subjected to, there was a growing — and far more reasonable — contingent of fans who simply began to question whether Day could get over the hump. The fact that they did so loudly and to anyone who would listen is no different than what would happen at other schools with rabid fanbases.
When Ohio State lost to Michigan on Nov. 30, it was reminiscent of the great 1990s teams under John Cooper that couldn’t get over the final hurdle. This was a Michigan team that hadn’t won a single road game. If not this year, people wondered, when could Day again notch a win over the Wolverines?
But that loss led to what we saw over the final four games of the season — a galvanized and focused group of players that fought hard for each other and for their head coach. Ohio State won four consecutive “big ones” and claimed Day’s first national championship as a head coach and the school’s first title in a decade.
In putting Tennessee and Oregon on full blast, staying out in front of Texas and ultimately putting the Longhorns away, and then dominating Notre Dame before fighting off their comeback attempt, Day silenced his critics and changed the narrative around his tenure at Ohio State.
Day rode that momentum by being everywhere — The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and the schools and living rooms of top recruits all over the country. Momentum was on Day’s side. He just had to beat Michigan and win the Big Ten without any players left over from the Meyer era, and the transformation would be complete.
But things change quickly. Less than a month after winning that title, and already knowing he was losing a giant chunk of his starting lineup to the NFL, Day is now left looking for new coordinators on both sides of the ball and a new offensive line coach.
It’s a lot to ask of Day to come anywhere close to 2024’s success in 2025. With 15 players likely getting drafted, there are a lot of starting positions up for grabs. New starters (again, especially at quarterback) need time to become cohesive — even if they’re not working with new coordinators. Even if Day knocks those coordinator hires out of the park, if they come in from outside, they’ll need time to adjust.
And then there’s the 2025 schedule, which opens against what figures to be a highly ranked Texas team. At least that’s at home. This group of Buckeyes will have to get their first road experience at Washington this year. Minnesota (at home) and Illinois (away) won’t be easy. Trips to Wisconsin are never easy either. And then there’s a game against a Penn State team that should be in the national championship picture.
Oh, and The Game is away. Ohio State will have a first-time starter in The Game yet again, and that’s always a challenge. The Wolverines should be better, because they could hardly be worse than they were in 2024, and they will be physical. The atmosphere will be difficult, and the weather may be as well.
In short, while I don’t expect the Day narrative to return to where it was the evening of Nov. 30, 2024, it will be difficult for him to build on it. Stranger things have happened, and anything is possible, but it’s an unlikely year to expect Ohio State to get over those other two humps in 2025. Maybe that will work in Day’s favor.
If Day manages to make the right hires to his coaching staff, get quarterback play anywhere close to the level of what Will Howard delivered, and get his new starters to perform at a high level again, the Ryan Day narrative could reach new heights of positivity. There will never be less pressure on Day to be successful than 2025. Most fans understand the level of turnover of staff and players that Ohio State has to overcome, and the good vibes of the championship linger.
If the team struggles, there will be grumbles again from Buckeye Nation, but not a full-scale revolt, as most Ohio State fans will give him the grace period that typically comes with winning a national title. In that case, however, the pressure would be back on in 2026 to show that the 2024 run wasn’t a one-off.