Ryan Day isn’t known for being talented.
The Ohio State coach could also do well as a mattress salesman or a local TV ad. He would just blend into the background. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to see what happened to him.
He deserves better recognition. Sure, he’s a millionaire many times over, and the Buckeyes are on the brink of making it to the College Football Playoff national championship. Ohio State may have the best roster left on the field, and that’s reflected in the Buckeyes becoming the betting favorite to win it all.
Day also appears to be angrily coaching. He’s had enough of the fans, the criticism, and what this job has become.
Day has that look on his face because he has what could be called the ultimate “F–you” card in his pocket. For people with certain sensitivities, we mean “forget you.” In other words, forget about you who doubted him.
This is more of an advice than a hope. Every time this Ohio State season ends, win or lose in the race for the school’s first national championship in 10 years, Day will be standing at the postgame podium checking it out. He should thank everyone before graciously resigning as Ohio State’s coach. Even if he wasn’t that decent of a guy, at least you can imagine Day considering what Bobby Knight yelled at his sending off.
Thankfully, it will be his choice to control Ohio State’s climate for once. In a different, more succinct sense, it would sometimes be like giving a middle finger to what this job has become.
Motivations vary from person to person. For Day, that is unfair criticism from his own people.
Even if Day waves goodbye, the man has proven himself and it won’t matter much what happens next. He has about 20 years left in his coaching career.
The NFL would be a good option. There are currently several openings and Day, who has been in the league for two years as an assistant, is well qualified. He’ll be on TV for a year or two. Hey, Linear Cable needs a mattress salesperson too. Importantly, Day won’t be out of work for long. he will be free.
Free yourself from everyday fatigue. The recent loss at Michigan has been, and will continue to be, a huge failure. You can’t change that. When we lost 13-10, everything went bad, everywhere, all at once. The result will still smell like week-old fish to some people. It would be even worse if Day loses five in a row to Michigan next season.
Making the playoffs should alleviate these types of losses. Just ask Penn State’s James Franklin, who is 1-18 heading into Notre Dame’s game against a top-five team.
In this discussion, there is a fundamental difference between the two fan bases. Up north, they stuck around all the way through Jim Harbaugh’s ninth year, until things completely turned around. They remained loyal to Herbs through an alliance with the NFL and multiple NCAA investigations.
Day had never been a head coach before, but he quickly took off following Urban Meyer. Well, Day can’t win enough. The obsession with Michigan turned malignant. Maybe it’s a sense of entitlement that fans shouldn’t have.
Until 2014, Ohio State had won one title since 1968. Mr. Meyer was an architect 10 years ago. His restaurant has a room named after his 7-0 record against Michigan.
Meanwhile, Day, the winningest coach in the FBS (.872), has been compared to John Cooper.
Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. In some cases, perspective may only allow you to see to the end of the corner bar. Boston College’s Jeff Hafley left before the pack. Day’s own offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, similarly resigned from his head coaching job at UCLA.
That’s why Day may need an exit strategy. On his terms. This is becoming a quality of life issue. After the recent loss at Michigan, Day received a vote of confidence from the athletic director (Ross Bjork). It was Day’s 10th career loss. This season, they lost twice by a total of 4 points, and they were mortified by losing one of them.
Lane Kiffin has lost three times this season, including a home loss to Kentucky, which went 4-8. The difference may be that Kiffin has a stronger social media presence.
Before the season, I spoke with former Ohio State AD Gene Smith, who explained some of the strategy for this $20 million roster.
“One of the things one of the donors said was, ‘I want to help, but I keep reading and hearing that (Day) might go to professional coaching.’ ,” Smith said. “I can’t answer that question…I just said,” he said, “There are questions we can answer, but if you don’t answer them, they don’t matter.”
Mr. Day focused on calling major donors to assure them of their loyalty. Smith said there has been an 80% positive response from people who have donated to the organization.
These two things cannot be true. Day is what the NFL wants and Day is not good enough for Ohio State.
It’s time for everyone in Columbus to know what they want. A playoff run should alleviate any doubts, as that is the purpose of the new playoffs. We’re not really focused on winning the league. Look at the bracket. It doesn’t matter if there are no conference champions left.
You should never roast over an open fire. If this was the old four-team format, Ohio State wouldn’t have been able to participate. As it stands, the Buckeyes could win 14 games and still lose to Michigan. And that’s — Buck Nation, earmuffs — you’ll be fine. We’re obsessed with Michigan because a Buckeye Fan drove us there in a modified minivan decked out in scarlet and gray flags.
No need for aggravation on the day. His family doesn’t need stress. The Michigan thing, and indeed the job itself, turned out to be bigger and uglier than what Day had accepted. Yes, yes, I know. “Give me $9 million a year and I’ll figure it out.” That’s valid. The same goes for this. The further we get away from that day against Michigan, the more it was all about.
Day rallied the team after that game. There was a team meeting. The Buckeyes refocused.
Tennessee lost by 25 points. The margin against Oregon was the largest team in the Rose Bowl in the past nine years. Let’s not ask if Day can win important games. Harbaugh played the last five games of Michigan’s eight-game losing streak to the Buckeyes. Given enough time, he won that national championship.
The question for Day at Ohio State is whether Natty is enough. My next trip to Ann Arbor will be in 11 months. There are several NFL teams that will need a new coach by that date.
And soccer at the highest level also needs a mattress salesman.
