Ryan Day deserves the patience of Ohio State Football fans

Ryan Day is 45-6 as the head coach of the Ohio State football team. He didn’t lose two games in a row until games 50 and 51. In comparison, Urban Meyer lost two in a row at Ohio State in games 25 and 26 (Michigan State and Clemson in 2012.)

Jim Tressel lost back-to-back for the first time in games 43 and 44 (Northwestern and Wisconsin in 2004.) John Cooper took care of that feat in his first season in 1988 losing games 4 and 5 against Illinois and Indiana. Earle Bruce suffered his first back-to-back L’s in games 28 and 29 against Florida State and Wisconsin.

Ryan Day almost made it to Woody Hayes’ record of not losing back-to-back games. Woody didn’t suffer consecutive L’s until games 53 and 54. But don’t let that record fool you. Hayes went 0-2-1 with a tie in between two losses in his first year in 1951.

Woody’s overall record in his first 51 games was 36-12-2. I am not comparing Day to Hayes, but the way some in this Ohio State football fanbase are treating Day, they would have run Woody out of town before he even had the chance to win his first National Championship.

Ryan Day has earned the opportunity to get things right against That Team Up North. I understand that losing two in a row is hard to swallow, especially when you come right back and have the eventual National Champs on the ropes playing a style of ball that we all wished we could have seen a month before in Columbus. But let’s not forget that the past four seasons are just his first four as a head coach at any level of the game, let alone in a place like Columbus, Ohio.

For more comparisons, Nick Saban coached nine seasons before he won his first national title. Urban coached in five before winning his first in his sixth season as a head coach. Dabo Swinney did not win his until his ninth season. Kirby Smart was in his sixth season when he won his first in 2021.

Jimbo Fisher won one in year four, but at this point does that even count given how far he has fallen from the ranks of the top coaches in the game? As far as Lincoln Riley is concerned, who Day is compared to the most, he is still looking for his first after six seasons.

To be completely honest, Day is learning on the job. Urban got to cut his teeth at Bowling Green and Utah before transforming college football in the Swamp. Same for Nick Saban who coached at Toledo and Michigan State before winning his first at LSU. To be fair, Day’s comeuppance is more comparable to Swinney and Smart, who both took over power five programs in their first gigs.

Day’s recruiting has remained solid every year despite the craziness of NIL and the transfer portal. The number of Buckeyes drafted in the NFL every year is a testament to his and the staff’s ability to develop top-notch talent.

Both of these data points along with his bowl and overall record should be enough for Buckeye Nation to give him more time to beat TTUN, win the Big 10, and eventually bring home a National Championship. Remember, Day is only 43 years young. There is plenty of time for him to become a legend. Just be patient.