There are few college football coaches safer than Ryan Day. He led the Ohio State football program to its first national title in a decade just a couple of years ago. Last season, he started out 12-0, including a decimation of TTUN. That game against the Wolverines was the last thing missing on his resume.
To start out the 2026 campaign, his peers voted the Buckeyes as the top team in the country. With that being the case, Ohio State is expected to be a national championship contender. Yet, one radio host believes that Day could be surprisingly fired with a bad year.
Radio host describes scenario in which Ryan Day would get fired from Ohio State
On the Dan Le Batard Show, without Dan in attendance, Mike Ruiz thinks that Day could be a surprise candidate to be fired at the end of the year if the Buckeyes underperform. His case is based on the fact that Ohio State has a tough schedule and very high expectations.
Has Ohio State football run its course? pic.twitter.com/q011QWkOGN
— The Dan Le Batard Show (@LeBatardShow) August 11, 2026
"There's always a top-10 team that finishes the season unranked, and they end up firing their coach. And I was trying to guess who's a team that does that this year...Ohio State would be my prediction right now because they lost like a bajillion guys in the NFL Draft. That was a lot of talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I know Ryan Day's had success there, but I feel like that was the end of their run. College football's changed. Being able to stack the classes, that's not really there, and I just think they're on a downward trajectory."
There is a lot to unpack there that is incorrect. First off, let's pick apart that final statement. Ryan Day's recruiting class ranks in the last five full recruiting classes have been ranked fourth, fourth, third, fifth, and third. Not a single year has been outside the top five. This is all according to the 247Sports Composite.
Secondly, Day has never lost more than two games in a season as a head coach. He has made the College Football Playoff five times, has two Big Ten championships, and a national championship. That's not the resume of someone who is going to get fired.
Ryan Day being fired after this year would be shocking
Day has almost no chance of being fired this year. They would have to lose all of their games against ranked teams in order for Ross Bjork to start entertaining that. That would mean losses to Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC, Oregon, and TTUN. That would be six losses, by far the most by a non-interim coach in almost three decades.
This take is ill-informed, and it seems like he might just be doing this for engagement purposes. No one in their right mind thinks Day is going to get fired after this year. If his teams underperform for a couple of years in a row, then his seat might get hot. That national championship has bought him a lot of equity with the fan base.
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