The Ohio State football season is over. Unless a miracle happens, the Buckeyes won’t get a chance to compete for a national title. They already won’t get a chance to play for a Big Ten title after losing to Michigan for the third year in a row. They’ll likely play in the Fiesta Bowl or something.
As far as games that truly matter, the season is over. It’s time to take stock in what was once a promising college football season. This was a team that had an elite defense all year but couldn’t get a stop when it mattered the most against the team that mattered the most.
The offense couldn’t be counted on consistently. Ohio State couldn’t run the ball against TTUN, only gaining 107 yards on 28 carries. Kyle McCord is not nearly a good enough quarterback and threw two interceptions in The Game, including one that set up TTUN for a touchdown inside the 10-yard line.
Now that we’ve seen the totality of the season, there are three coaches from the staff who need to be let go. All three of these coaches have shown that they either can’t do the job they are assigned or are past their prime. Neither is something that is good for the Ohio State football program.
Let’s start with the obvious one.
1. Ryan Day
This is the first time since the mid-90s that the Ohio State football team has lost three straight times to Michigan. The leader of such a stretch is Ryan Day. Day had no excuses coming into this game without Jim Harbaugh coaching on the sidelines.
In the last two seasons, TTUN cheated so those losses can be forgiven. They were caught before this game, so this loss cannot stand. Day showed that he doesn’t have the gumption to lead a big-time program. His cowardice was on display several times in The Game.
At the end of the first half, Day decided to run the clock down from inside 30 seconds to three seconds before calling a timeout to set up a 52-yard field goal. It was fourth and a long one. Instead of allowing his offense, which clearly had found its rhythm and had momentum, to go for it, he trotted out his kicker. Jayden Fielding missed the kick.
Instead of possibly going into the locker room with the lead, or at least getting a shorter attempt at a field goal, the Buckeyes left that drive with no points. That wound up being huge at the end of the game when Ohio State needed a touchdown to win instead of just a field goal to tie.
Day has clearly shown that he doesn’t get the rivalry. At least Urban Meyer beat Michigan. This loser has lost three straight to them. He needs to go. Ohio State needs to get someone else who can beat this team.
The next coach who should get fired is someone who shouldn’t have been on the staff at all.
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2. Parker Fleming
Did you watch the Ohio State football team’s special teams this year? They were absolutely pathetic! Jesse Mirco averaged 36.7 yards a punt in The Game and the punting unit made mistake after mistake. Jayden Fielding missed a field goal in The Game as well.
It wasn’t just the final game of the year though. The special teams unit had penalties time after time. Jayden Ballard muffed a punt against Penn State. There is no reason for the special teams to be that bad, especially if you employ a full-time special teams coordinator.
Parker Fleming never should’ve had a job to begin with. No other CFP contender employs a special teams coordinator. Keeping Fleming means one less coach for the defense, which is a problem. It’s not like Fleming is even doing his job well either. He’s actively holding this team back on special teams.
If Ryan Day does survive into next year, he needs to remove Fleming immediately and get an extra defensive coach. It’s not like the special teams can get any worse without him. In fact, I would argue that they would be much improved with that unit next year.
The final coach who shouldn’t return next season is a position coach who was hired just a couple of years ago.
3. Justin Frye
Justin Frye was hired as the offensive line coach for the Ohio State football team in 2022. The Buckeyes needed a new line coach after Greg Studrawa stopped recruiting. Day brought in Frye from UCLA, who was recommended by Chip Kelly, whom Day worked with in the NFL.
Two years in and the offensive line hasn’t gotten any better. In fact, I’d venture to say they’ve gotten worse, especially in the passing game. Both tackles got cooked on the edge this year, especially in that final game. There’s no reason they should allow pressure on every dropback.
Frye’s recruiting also hasn’t been good. Of the three offensive linemen in the 2024 recruiting class, just one is better than a three-star prospect. That four-star prospect, Ian Moore, is still just the 7th-best player at his position in the country. They aren’t getting any blue-chippers up front.
Ohio State needs to be better up front. Having an offensive line coach who doesn’t elevate the level of play of the big guys affects every level of the offense. Without good offensive line play, the team can’t run the ball consistently or give the quarterback enough time to pass.
Frye needs to go. The Ohio State football program can hire someone else who’s better equipped for the Buckeyes’ needs up front. Get someone who can actually land the top recruits that they’re used to getting. They don’t have a Paris Johnson Jr. or Dawand Jones on that offensive line. They don’t have any of those guys on the roster.
Until these moves are made, Ohio State is going to keep losing to TTUN every year and not win any serious games. The new athletic director, whoever it ends up being, needs to tell Gene Smith to make this his last act as AD.
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