Before head coach Ryan Day led the Ohio State Buckeyes on a magical run through the College Football Playoff to a national championship title, people were calling for his head.
After a fourth straight loss to Michigan, erasing the Buckeyes’ hopes of ending the streak and a chance at the Big Ten title, Day became public enemy number one among fans and media alike.
Big Ten Coaches Go To Bat for Ryan Day
Anonymous Big Ten coaches spoke to Athlon Sports this week, commenting on their opponents for the magazine’s 2025 College Football Preview.
One coach called out the Day haters, adding that whoever was calling for his head was “ludicrous.”
Anonymous Coaches’ Comments on Ohio State in Athlon Sports CFB Magazine
“Year in and year out, this is the most talented program in the league and one of the most talented in the nation. The question every season is just if they can arrange that talent the right way.”
“Whoever… pic.twitter.com/YZkRHIGqMl
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) May 24, 2025
“The resilience of [Ryan] Day and his staff is really, really remarkable,” one coach said. “I don’t think they get enough credit from the public for how they managed the playoff run after losing to Michigan.
“The calls for his job were absolutely ludicrous. Do they need to beat Michigan? Yeah, sure. But this program is at the very top of the sport because of the head coach.”
The Buckeyes weren’t able to get the offense going in the second half against the Wolverines, leading to the team’s fourth straight loss in “The Game.” The Buckeyes haven’t beaten Michigan since 2019, with no game being held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michigan broke Ohio State’s eight-game winning streak in 2021, defeating the No. 2 Buckeyes 42-27 and costing them a spot in the College Football Playoff.
They followed it up with a 45-23 shellacking against a then-undefeated Ohio State team in 2022, after which both teams made the CFP. A 30-24 loss in 2023 once again cost the Buckeyes a spot in the CFP.
This year, the Buckeyes bounced back, making the expanded 12-team playoff as the No. 8 seed, blowing out Tennessee, undefeated Oregon, and Texas, before taking down Notre Dame in the CFP National Championship. Part of the Buckeyes’ run was attributed to insane depth.
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“Year in and year out, this is the most talented program in the league and one of the most talented in the nation,” one coach said. “The question every season is just if they can arrange that talent the right way.”
The Buckeyes are looking for a quarterback to replace Will Howard this year. Whoever wins the competition may have the best wide receiver room in the country, backed by an incredible defense, another coach said.
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