The Ohio State Buckeyes had a year that most programs would consider a success in 2023, winning 11 games and finishing the year with a New Year’s Six Bowl appearance.
However, those accomplishments were soured by their third consecutive loss to Michigan and an abysmal showing in the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri.
As a result, there is a good deal of frustration amongst the Ohio State fan base in regards to the performance of head coach Ryan Day.
And according to ESPN’s Rece Davis, if Day doesn’t make the Big Ten make a run in the 2024 12-team College Football Playoff, things could begin to get uncomfortable for the Buckeyes head man.
“I don’t believe there is real heat, nor should there be, on Ryan Day,” Davis said. “That said, there might be some real discontent if Ohio State, let’s say, doesn’t win the Big Ten, goes to the playoffs, and either loses a home game in the first round or loses in the quarterfinal, and you spend whatever the total ends up being and you don’t get more out of it than you had.”
In Day’s defense, he has had tremendous success with the Buckeyes already in his five years as head coach.
Not only has he won the Big Ten twice and the Big Ten East three times, but he has also reached the College Football Playoff in three of his five seasons as head coach.
Not to mention, he is 39-3 in Big Ten play, with the only three losses coming to Michigan.
That said, the aforementioned three-game losing streak to the Wolverines is a tough pill to swallow for both decision-makers and fans of the program alone. And the fact that Michigan parlayed the most recent loss into a national title makes it even rougher for supporters of the Scarlet and Grey.
As a result, if Day manages to drop a fourth straight to the Wolverines in 2024, his seat might get more than just a little hot.
