Things could be going better for the Ohio State football program right now.
In each of the last two weeks, the Buckeyes have lost to USC and Oregon. Those losses have essentially ended their season. Ohio State is now all the way at 20th in the College Football Playoff rankings, which likely leaves them too far behind to make the CFP.
Former players don't like what's happening. In fact, Dan "Boom" Herron called for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to be fired. There is certainly a chance that Ryan Day decides to do that. If he does, there are three guys who could be at the top of the list to replace him.
1. Chip Kelly
Quite honestly, this should have been the move that Day made in the first place. Once Kelly got fired by the Raiders, Kelly should have been Day's first call. He dodged a question about whether or not he tried to hire Kelly in the offseason, and Kelly will go against Day this weekend.
Kelly was the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes when they won the title in 2024. He and Day have a very close relationship. It would be a step up from Northwestern. It also doesn't seem that Kelly wants to be a college head coach any longer, and the NFL didn't work out.
With all of those factors, why wouldn't this reunion work? Kelly really turned things on for Ohio State offensively during the College Football Playoff. It makes all the sense in the world to bring him back. The only thing that could hold him back is the chance to coach Day's son next season.
2. J.T. Barrett
If Kelly doesn't want to come back to Columbus, the next call for Day should be J.T. Barrett. Day coached Barrett for his final season in Columbus. Now, Barrett is a fast-rising coach in the NFL ranks. Currently, he is the quarterbacks coach for the Bears.
Barrett has learned under Ben Johnson in both Detroit and now Chicago. Johnson is one of the brightest young offensive minds in the NFL. Barrett was extremely smart when he was the quarterback for the Buckeyes throughout his entire career, as well.
Would this be a jump in responsibility for Barrett? Sure. But if the Buckeyes don't get him now, Barrett is going to get too entrenched in the NFL to come back to college. Bringing him back would be immensely popular with the alumni and the fan base, too.
3. Matt Rhule
Yes, Matt Rhule is currently a head coach in the Big Ten. However, things have not gone well at Nebraska during his tenure. Since he took over the Cornhuskers, Rhule has a 24-23 record. As a head coach in college and the NFL, Rhule has a record of just 82-93.
Rhule clearly is not a good head coach. That doesn't mean he isn't a good offensive mind. If he gets fired at the end of the year, Day should at least gauge his interest in going back to being an OC. It wouldn't be a bad match, as Rhule could just focus on football and not ancillary stuff.
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