What is the lowest point of the Ohio State program over the last 50 years? The Woody Hayes punch? The squandered 1995 season? John Cooper‘s entire tenure? Tattoogate? The losing 2011 season? It could be argued that what occurred in Houston on January 8th is among that crowd and Ryan Day shoulders some blame.
After dominating Michigan in 2019, 56-27, and threatening to put up 100 in 2020 (which could have happened considering the state of the programs), Day has not been up to standard. When the two suit up again on November 30th, it will have been 1,827 days since Ohio State beat Michigan.
Beating up on the Indiana and Michigan States of the world may warrant a lifetime contract for some. Dropping three in a row to Michigan, no matter what else has pitchforks sharpening in Columbus.
2024 Must be Ryan Day’s Year
Quelling Unrest in Columbus
It doesn’t matter who is coaching in Ann Arbor. It doesn’t matter if the NCAA sends Michigan back to its glory days of the 1880s with sanctions and vacating wins. Day has to end the 2024 regular season with a win.
Michigan was the better team over the last three years. No amount of cheating allegations can fully exorcise the way the Buckeyes — and, by extension, Alabama and Washington — were physically beaten. And, in 2023, they were the best team in the country. Ohio State arguably played Michigan the best this year.
Even then, the Ohio State faithful were lining up to throw Day and his staff into the Olentangy River. Changes have to be made.
He kicked off the year by moving on from safeties coach Perry Eliano. However, he can’t be the only one let go. The most popular name is full-time special teams coach, Parker Fleming. Under his watch, the Ohio State special teams regressed to the point of being a hindrance. With numerous procedural and delays of game penalties, the special teams hamstrung themselves time after time. Not to mention the continuous bone-headed decisions to field punts inside the 10-yard line.
Making a few needed staffing changes may not put out the torches – only beating Michigan will do that – but it’ll help.
Taking a Lead off of Third
Being bullied and told he was born on third is humiliating but Day hasn’t done much to dispel it. He is 1-3 vs. Michigan. He’s 1-2 in the College Football Playoff. Toss in the losses to Missouri this year and Oregon in 2021, Ohio State fans struggle to find Day’s most impressive win.
Beating good Penn State and Notre Dame teams is expected. And, even then, the four games against the pair of them over the last two years have not been convincing. He won, and that’s what’s important, but it does little to show Day has elevated the Ohio State program.
With the departures of Matthew Jones and Josh Proctor, there are finally no more Urban Meyer-era players left in the program. If you want to be picky, the whole 2019 recruiting class (which Meyer recruited up until handing over the keys) is also gone, barring Enokk Vimahi‘s decision. Which, based on the Cotton Bowl, should be easy and he shouldn’t return.
2024 will be the first year where 100% of the players are Day’s. If Day gets credit for 2019, then he’s brought in the seventh, fifth, second, fourth, and fourth-best recruiting classes in the nation. For 2024, it looks like Ohio State will sign around the third-best class.
The talent is there. Falling short is on coaching. If Day wants to get rid of the third-base allegations, 2024 has to be the beginning of a greater era of Ohio State football.
Transfer Portal Hits
When a team recruits as well as Ohio State does, there will be misses and outbound transfers. The 85-man scholarship limit still exists. With all of the draft-eligible players electing to return, players get phased out.
This means Ohio State can’t overhaul its roster like the Colorados, Ole Misses, or Louisvilles of the world via the Portal. They must value quality over quantity.
In 2019, Ohio State hit a home run with Justin Fields. In 2020, it was Trey Sermon. Noah Ruggles came to town in 2021. Chip Trayanum and Tanner McCalister were a hit in 2022. This past year, they took a handful but only Davison Igninosun made an impact thus far.
Already this year, the Buckeyes have hit on Will Howard, Seth McLaughlin, and, most recently, Quinshon Judkins. All three players have the ability to be day-one starters.
Day will likely take a few more transfers, ideally on the offensive line. The deficiencies were on full display down the stretch. In the NFL, free agency is best used to address needs. Considering the Transfer Portal is lamented as a “College Football Free Agency,” what better way to set the team up for immediate success?
Ryan Day is legitimately one of the best coaches in college football. There honestly isn’t any denying that after continuing Meyer’s work of keeping the program in contention. Recency bias and expecting the world as muddied that fact.
No Day but Today
The 2024 schedule is not incredibly easy nor is it too difficult. Iowa will still possess a great defense. Trips to Oregon and Penn State will be difficult. And, obviously, Michigan. With the 12-team CFP incoming, tripping along the way is not a death knell. But that does not mean the expectations to beat Michigan, win the Big Ten, and win the National Championship can be forgotten.
It may be dramatic to say the 2024 Ohio State season is a crucial crossroads for the program. However, the doomers may be right in this case. Day is getting a lot of productivity to return despite having to replace a quarterback and the potential first-overall pick.
Michigan, among other things, rode a veteran-laden roster that was hungry for more. The two decades of dominance in the rivalry changed how Michigan operated on a cellular level. Getting embarrassed against Michigan over the last three years has to light a fire under Day in the same way. He cannot let his tenure end up as Cooper’s did. Cooper had multiple National Championship-worthy teams derailed by Michigan.
Obviously, don’t resort to Connor Stalions-level of desperation. On the contrary, Day’s back is against the wall and he has to lash out and coach to win, not just to not lose. In the Peach Bowl against Georgia, Day coached to win for about 90% of the contest before turtling in the fourth quarter. Against Michigan, he’s coached to not lose rather than go out and win. Michigan took chances. Michigan kept with what worked. The Wolverines wanted it more.
It’s time for Ryan Day to want it.
