Ohio State football coach on preseason coaching award watchlist once again

The Ohio State football program should be ready for the 2024 season. With the roster that they have assembled and the coaches that they have hired in the offseason, they should win the Big Ten. More than that, they should be able to make a run at the national championship.

Ryan Day knows that he needs to have a season just like that if he wants to keep his job. Despite having to say something like that, Day is still on a preseason watchlist for a coaching award. The Dodd Trophy released their preseason watchlist on Monday and Day is on it.

Day has been on this watchlist before but has never won the award. When you look at how the program has finished each of the last three seasons, you understand why. Still, this has a chance to be the best coaching job of his career if things go well.

There are 21 coaches on the preseason watchlist. Of the 21 coaches, only three of them are from the Big Ten. Day is one of them, James Franklin of Penn State and Kirk Ferentz of Iowa are the other two. Day has the best chance to win the award of those three Big Ten coaches.

The Ohio State football program is hoping that they can beat both of those teams this year. Day's hiring of Chip Kelly should help him in his case to win the Dodd Trophy this year too. Kelly is going to be a large part of the success of the offense and Day should get credit for bringing him in.

Ohio State has the talent to win it all. Coaching is what's going to make the difference. Day has a chance to change the arc of his coaching career this season. Getting revenge on Michigan and winning a national title puts him back in the good graces of the Ohio State football fans.