Ohio State Football: Jim Harbaugh top head coach and Ryan Day No. 10?

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COLUMBUS, OH – SEPTEMBER 1: Acting Head Coach Ryan Day of the Ohio State Buckeyes watches his team from the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Ohio Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Oregon State 77-31. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

I didn’t expect Ryan Day would be listed as one of the top Big Ten coaches since it’s his first full season at the helm for Ohio State. But Jim Harbaugh No. 1?

In an article by Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports he ranked the Big Ten coaches and had Ohio State head coach Ryan Day at No. 10 with Jim Harbaugh as the top coach in the conference. Seriously?

I like reading lists of players, coaches, etc., and this was an interesting one with Mr. Lassan providing terrific info I will share here. I just disagree with some of his rankings.

But that’s the cool thing about lists, we can agree or disagree but it stirs thought.

I totally agree with Day having to prove himself to move up the ladder as every coach has to do. But he was 3-0 as the interim head coach at the beginning of last season so the No. 10 ranking is too low.

Also, the Buckeyes outscored their opponents 169-62 during that stretch. He has also been the co-offensive coordnator on two Big Ten championship teams.

With that on his resume, does anybody think coach Day would be the 10th choice among Big Ten coaches if an AD from another university was looking to hire a guy to lead his football program? I don’t think so.

Here are coaches listed ahead of him who don’t have winning records during their Big Ten tenures I have Ryan Day ranked ahead of.

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota: The Gophers are an up and coming team and were 7-6 last season. Fleck’s record in two seasons as Minnesota’s head coach is 12-13.

Jeff Brohm, Purdue: The Boilermakers have improved significantly in Brohm’s first two seasons but are 13-13 during that time.

Scott Frost, Nebraska: I can see the Cornhuskers making waves in the Big Ten West Division next season as they won four of six games down the stretch in 2018. But Nebraska was only 4-8 during Frost’s first year at the helm.

I think all three of these guys are terrific coaches and I’m not sure how I would rank them 8-10, but I will rank Ryan Day at No. 7, for the moment.

Now a look at the coaches with better resumes with five having led their teams to the Big Ten Championship Game. Want to guess which one hasn’t?

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