Defending Ryan Day as a Top 5 college football coach despite struggles vs. Michigan

The upcoming 2024 season is a prove-it year for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, and while he’s got to earn results on the field, On3’s Jesse Simonton still rates the Buckeye leader as one of college football’s top coaches.

Sure, OSU has seen a swoon in play on the field late into the year recently, having missed out on the national championship game since finishing runner up in 2020 while also dropping three straight matchups vs. Michigan. The latter is especially frustrating for Buckeye fans, and they’re about at their wits’ end with the Michigan losses.

So, he’s coming into a huge season for himself. But On3’s Jesse Simonton isn’t buying into the idea that Day needs to go anytime soon. He rated him as the No. 4 college football coach in the country and had glowing things to say about him when joining Andy Staples on the On3 YouTube channel Wednesday morning.

Staples was a little surprised by the pick, though.

“Ryan Day is a lightning rod,” he commented. “Because he has been, by any objective measure, extremely successful at Ohio State. But you’ll have rival fans say ‘well, Urban Meyer handed him something ready made.'”

Simonton commented that even OSU fans don’t know what they should think about Day given the success but also the disappointments in some of the biggest games.

“You’ll have Ohio State fans saying ‘Well, maybe Jim Harbaugh was right about the third base thing.’ I think Ohio State fans are more conflicted about Ryan Day than anybody,” said Simonton. “Four is a controversial place to put Ryan Day, but if he was 1-2 against Michigan the last three years, would anybody question it?” he asked, then explaining how close Ohio State just came to a national championship a couple years ago.

“If you make a field goal against Georgia, you probably win the national title. So, the margins are that thin,” Simonton added. “So again, he rarely loses, he doesn’t have these games where, oh, Rutgers is beating us, or, oh, we’re going down to Illinois and losing in Champaign. Ohio State wins the majority of the games they’re supposed to.”

They also do win some huge games — take Notre Dame last year for instance. OSU fans would like more of those wins, especially vs. the rivals, but at least they still have some marquee wins to point to on a yearly basis.

“Unlike Penn State, they do also beat some top 10-15 teams. They’re on a skid vs. Michigan, this is the season they absolutely have to get it done,” Simonton added. “(Day) needs to win that game and he’s made every stride this offseason that suggests he gets it.”

Despite strong success, in order to reach that next step, Simonton explained that Day has changed his approach a little bit.

“Ryan Day’s won a lot of games doing it his way, but now he’s said, ‘hey, I got to cede some of these responsibilities.’ He takes a more CEO approach and gets Bill O’Brien to be his offensive coordinator. O’Brien leaves for a head coaching job, what’s he do? Has Chip Kelly waiting on the line.”

Even the Ohio State roster is loaded up for one major run, says Jesse Simonton.

“He’s pushed the chips all in to be aggressive with the roster — not only landing guys like Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, Will Howard, but then, he’s like, they’re going to add even more talent to the roster and just let it play out. Competition wins. So I just really like what Ohio State has done this offseason. I think he merits being there in the top-five.”

2024 is the season where Day can prove that ranking.