Analysis from Ohio State HC Ryan Day ahead of a potential rematch in Oregon

The Oregon Ducks enjoyed a nice week away from football after winning the Big Ten Championship Game over the Penn State Nittany Lions earlier this month to secure the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff standings.

Because of this, they now enjoy another week off, with a bye in the first round of the playoffs. While Dan Lanning and the Ducks get to work on the field preparing for their New Year’s Day game in the Rose Bowl, off the field it’s scouting time. Oregon will play either the Ohio State Buckeyes or the Tennessee Volunteers in a quarterfinal game in a few weeks and has a chance to advance to the semifinals.

As Lanning’s team prepares for their future opponent, we want to do the same.

Already this month we took an in-depth look at the offense and defense of the Buckeyes and Volunteers and looked at the players we need to know and what to expect in the future. This week we’ll continue that trend by looking at the man taking charge.

Let’s start with Ohio State University head coach Ryan Day.

The current status of Ryan Day

Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

It’s safe to say that Ryan Day has had better periods of his career.

While his Buckeyes are 10-2, have made the College Football Playoff and will host a first-round game, the last few weeks haven’t exactly been full of success for Ohio State. In late November, Day played a key role in arguably the worst loss in program history – the fourth straight loss to the Michigan Wolverines, the Buckeyes’ biggest rival.

While the previous three losses to Michigan were understandable and Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines to top finishes and a national championship in 2023, this loss will be a black mark on Day’s resume. The 2024 Wolverines finished the year unranked, with a record of 7-5.

Is Day training for his job in Columbus as the Buckeyes head into the playoffs? Some believe this is the case because anything short of a championship puts the head coach at risk.

History and coaching record of Ryan Day

Day is a former quarterback at New Hampshire who began his career as a tight ends coach, working with former Oregon HC Chip Kelly. He eventually became Kelly’s QB coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers before being hired as HC by Ohio State in 2019.

As a head coach, Day has a 66-10 record and only has six losses on his record in the regular season. Four of those losses came against the Michigan Wolverines, while the other two came at the hands of the Oregon Ducks.

What this playoff run means for Ryan Day

As mentioned, there’s a good chance Ryan Day is training for his job this offseason. While from the outside looking in it seems crazy to fire a coach who has gone 66-10 in seven seasons, the inability to win the most important game on the schedule every year is starting to become a problem.

Depending on how far the Buckeyes make it in the playoffs, one could argue that Ohio State could choose to cut ties with Day or keep him. The squad in Columbus is one of the most expensive in sports thanks to a healthy zero budget and is also one of the most talented in the country. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Ohio State could compete for the championship, but if that success falls short before reaching the semifinals, it’s fair to wonder what the day might bring.