Ohio State coach Ryan Day not on hot seat, ex-boss Urban Meyer says, as former Buckeyes vent frustrations

No. 2 Ohio State’s 30-24 loss at No. 3 Michigan Saturday didn’t do anything to curb criticism surrounding fifth-year Buckeyes coach Ryan Day. Despite a 56-7 overall record with Day at the helm, Ohio State has now dropped three straight meetings to the Wolverines, each costing the Buckeyes a Big Ten Championship Game berth and sinking Day to 1-3 all-time against their top rival. 

Day’s predecessor, retired three-time national champion coach Urban Meyer, doesn’t believe Day has much to worry about when it comes to his job security, however. 

“No, [Ryan Day] is not under fire,” said Meyer on the FOX broadcast after the game concluded. “As far as job security, no, he’s not. Reality is, is he under fire? Yeah, he is. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, and he’s the Ohio State head football coach. And that’s real. You just feel for the families, you feel for Ryan Day’s family. But it’s a big-boy business. He’s a big boy. He’ll handle it, come back, and you know what, go back in January, get back to work, find a way to beat the Wolverines. That’s the whole focus.”

Day spent two seasons on Ohio State’s staff as an assistant under Meyer from 2017-18 prior to his promotion, giving him a front-row seat to a tenure that saw Meyer achieve perfection against Michigan. Ohio State went 7-0 against the Wolverines under Meyer’s watch from 2012-18, including a final meeting that was also a winner-take-all matchup for the Big Ten East. Meyer’s run included three Big Ten titles and peaked with a College Football Playoff national championship in 2014, which remains the Buckeyes’ most recent national title despite four playoff berths in the time since. 

As for Day, the Buckeyes have at least clinched a third straight season of 11 or more wins and should be on track for another New Year’s Six bowl berth. But for a third straight year, 11 straight regular-season wins ends on a sour note. The Buckeyes’ three-game skid against the Wolverines is their first since 1995-97 under former coach John Cooper. 

Although Meyer downplayed concerns regarding Day’s future as Ohio State’s coach, that sentiment wasn’t shared by a few notable ex-Buckeyes who took to social media calling for a change in leadership. A group that notably included former Ohio State star running back Maurice Clarett, who was part of the 2002 national championship team, made it clear the skid against Michigan won’t be tolerated.

Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and defensive back Tyreke Johnson — the latter of whom played under Day — were also among those unafraid to air their grievances. Pryor, in his tweet, called for the return of coach Jim Tressel, who coached the Buckeyes to the aforementioned 2002 title during a tenure that featured more than 90 wins from 2001-10. Johnson, meanwhile, had gripes about Day’s inability to win “the big game.” 

While those opinions will only carry so much weight — it’s up to Ohio State’s administration to make any potential coaching decisions — it’s undeniably a tough scene for Day, who now finds himself at a bit of a crossroads in his career. The Big Ten only gets more competitive in 2024 as the conference expands to 18 teams with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joining from the Pac-12. And while that will signal the end of divisions in the conference, the rivalry game against Michigan isn’t going away anytime soon.