Please stay, Ryan Day. Give Ohio State the chance to win consecutive national championships. Help the Buckeyes become as successful as Alabama or Georgia.
Please stay, Ryan Day, because right now, you’re too good for Ohio State. This isn’t a jab at the harsh critics who wanted you out 7½ weeks ago after the loss to Michigan; it’s just the truth. After leading Ohio State to a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for the Buckeyes’ ninth championship and first in 10 years, you’ve proven yourself.
You’re set for life in Ohio now. You won’t have to buy a drink again, whether it’s in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, or anywhere Buckeye fans are.
You’re now a legend in the Buckeyes’ history, or you should be. With a win percentage of .875, you rank second only to Knute Rockne among FBS coaches with at least 50 games. Knute. Rockne.
Now, the power is in your hands. If you’re thinking about moving up, Ryan – and you should be at this point – there’s only one place left for you after Monday’s victory. It’s where you came from, after being recruited by your mentor Chip Kelly to be Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator seven years ago.
That place is the NFL. It’s where you made your name as an up-and-coming coach. It’s the same place that helped bring you to Ohio State. Now, you can return to the NFL and write your own ticket.
Maybe not immediately. Your son, RJ, still has two years of high school left. The Jags, Cowboys, Jets, Saints, and Raiders are still looking for coaches, but it’s unclear if those would be the best fits. Day is a loyal Patriots fan, but this time the stars didn’t align for a New England job, especially after they hired former Buckeye Mike Vrabel.
However, Day’s future in the NFL seems likely, as the rest of the country recognizes what some of your home-state critics forget: you’re an excellent coach, especially when it comes to offense.
If you’re that made man, then Chip Kelly is practically your right-hand man. Just like in the movies, they made the bold decision to go for it with that deep pass to Jeremiah Smith on third down, a high-risk, high-reward play that paid off.
In another symbolic moment, with seconds left in the first half, LeBron James was shown on the video board, watching from a suite, proudly wearing Scarlet and Gray. Feeling the excitement, LeBron took off his hat and waved it to the crowd, almost like he was part of the coronation. By halftime, the Buckeyes were champions.
Ryan Day had been underappreciated for a while, but this championship proved his worth. In today’s playoff format, you don’t have to win your conference to win the title, and at Ohio State, you don’t even have to beat Michigan.
Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, especially since Day and the Buckeyes have lost four straight to Michigan, the “Team Up North.”
But Ryan Day’s legacy as Urban Meyer’s successor looks better every day. He’s 70-10 after his sixth season, making him the winningest active coach. Woody Hayes was 57-19-3 through 80 games. Urban Meyer, the last coach to win a national title, was an incredible 72-8. Jim Tressel was 66-14.
Eighty games is more than just a small snapshot; it’s a solid foundation. And for Ryan Day, it’s just the beginning if Ohio State can keep him. Just last month, Ohio State’s AD, Ross Bjork, said Day would “absolutely” be back in 2025 as the coach, despite some questioning whether Day’s job was safe after the Michigan loss.
Now, it’s up to Ryan Day to confirm that he’ll return in the fall. He’s earned that right. The ball is in his court.
