Ryan Day already has what most coaches spend a career chasing — a national championship. What he does next, however, will define his future at Ohio State.
Following a 24-14 loss to Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl, Day finds himself facing the same standard that once followed Nick Saban at Alabama: adapt or risk stagnation. Championships earn credibility. Sustained success requires evolution.
Ohio State entered late November brimming with confidence. The Buckeyes left Michigan Stadium on Nov. 29 unbeaten, fresh off their first rivalry win since 2019 and boasting a dominant offensive line performance that produced 419 yards without a sack. They were 12-0, widely viewed as the nation’s best team.
One month later, everything unraveled
"(Day) won a national championship, but now he must show he can adapt like Nick Saban once did, losing coordinators almost yearly from championship-level Alabama teams and replacing them with winners," The Athletic's Cameron Teague Robinson wrote. "He must start with somebody who can right the ship for an offense that scored a total of just 24 points in the season’s two biggest games."
Ohio State surrendered five sacks to Miami’s defensive front and exited the postseason with consecutive losses in which it scored just 24 total points. The collapse wasn’t the result of an easy regular-season schedule or being blindsided by elite competition. The Buckeyes had plans. They simply didn’t work and the adjustments came too late.
“We put ourselves behind the eight ball,” Day said. “That starts with me.”
The timing only magnified the problem. Three days before the Big Ten Championship Game, offensive coordinator Brian Hartline accepted the head coaching job at South Florida, forcing Day to reclaim play-calling duties. The offense sputtered against Indiana and never recovered against Miami, struggling with protection, tempo and decision-making.
Those failures now frame Ohio State’s most important offseason in years
Day’s offense is Day’s responsibility. He promoted Hartline after Chip Kelly left for the NFL and took back control when things spiraled. The results were clear: slow starts, predictable pacing and little margin for error against elite opponents.
This is where the Nick Saban comparison matters. Alabama routinely lost coordinators after title runs and responded by hiring proven replacements who kept the standard intact. Day must now do the same, beginning with an offensive coordinator who can fix a unit that faltered when the pressure peaked.
Ohio State is at its best when Day acts as a CEO, not a reactive play caller. He knows it. So does a fan base that measures seasons in championships, not progress.
“Whatever it takes to get better, we’ll do,” Day said.
He has already climbed the mountain. Whether Ohio State stays there depends entirely on his next move.
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