Ohio State football: Who is the new best coach in the Big Ten?
By Ryan Stano
![Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to quarterback Julian Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to quarterback Julian](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4500,h_2531,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/151/01hybt59rm07cx4bs1z6.jpg)
The Ohio State football team used to own Jim Harbaugh. When Urban Meyer was leading the Buckeyes, he didn't lose to Harbaugh a single time. Even Ryan Day beat Harbaugh in his first year. It looked like he was going to get fired from Michigan.
Since that terrible 2020 pandemic season though, Harbaugh changed. No matter what you think about the cheating scandal that they had last year, Harbaugh had evolved into the best coach in the Big Ten. The Ohio State football team couldn't beat him in each of the last three years.
Now Harbaugh is back in the NFL, so where does that leave the coaching pecking order? Who is now the best coach in the Big Ten? The league has four new teams in there this season. There's a chance that one of those new programs has the new best coach in the league.
Right now, I think the best coach in the Big Ten is Dan Lanning, but it's close. In his two years at Oregon, he's turned the Ducks into a national championship contender. They are going to be one of the best teams in the country this season, not just the Big Ten,
I think Ryan Day is an extremely close second. The Ohio State football team will also be one of the best teams in the country this season. The difference between him and Lanning has at least played for a conference title in the last three seasons. Day hasn't.
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This season could change that. I think Day has a chance to switch that ranking and have him jump up to first. Lincoln Riley and James Franklin are battling it out for third right now. After that, there's a pretty large drop-off. It's clear that Ohio State has a shot to win it all, but it hinges on Day's ability to get over the hump.