You could give Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day all the grief in the world for what he's accomplished, or failed to accomplish, over the years. With all the talent Brian Hartline, Larry Johnson, Tim Walton, and others have helped bring to Columbus in the NIL era, one title since 2021 is pretty disappointing.
Something that has not been disappointing is the overall body of work from Day as a head coach during that time span. As CBS Sports' Cody Nagel and his colleagues uncovered, the Buckeyes have been one of the most clutch fourth-quarter closers in the sport, going 48-1 when leading by at least seven points entering the fourth quarter since 2021.
Ohio State is in elite company at the top of the sport: the Georgia Bulldogs (53-0), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (44-0), Alabama Crimson Tide (42-0), Oregon Ducks (49-1), and TTUN (46-1). Surprisingly, the Tennessee Volunteers weren't far behind. Neither were the Ole Miss Rebels and Penn State Nittany Lions.
The Buckeyes haven't been a perennial CFP team during that span, missing it in 2021 and 2023, but who knows what could've happened if they had all been 12-team fields? Given what we know now about durability, those stacked early 2020s Ohio State teams probably would've had a better chance to survive the gauntlet. There was still overwhelmingly strong depth from the remnants of the old era of recruiting.
Even absent that, you have to give credit where it is due. Day clearly knows how to game-manage. When the going gets tough, Day doesn't allow his team to blow leads. Well, besides the 42-41 2022 Peach Bowl loss that kicked off the new year (2023) in style for the Dawgs, and in a nightmarish way for the Buckeyes. Ohio State led 38-24 heading into the final frame and blew it right when the ball dropped. The thing is, that was the most-watched game since 2018, so it's easy to associate Day with blowing it in the big one.
OSU's 2026 should put it in position to win more of these types of games
If you need more proof of Day's late-game prowess, we should get it during the 2026 season. The Buckeyes' upcoming slate is legendarily difficult. That's not to say Ohio State won't just survive long enough to make another successful CFP run. Hell, the Buckeyes may still be forgiven by the CFP selection committee and make the field if they suffer three close losses. But we will definitely see close games nearly the entire way. And OSU's one-loss clutch record may be tested.
The Ball State Cardinals and Kent State Golden Eagles will be sacrificial lambs, but the rest of the schedule is absolutely stacked: the Texas Longhorns, Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, USC Trojans, and Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road, and the Illinois Fighting Illini, Ducks, and Wolverines at home. The Maryland Terrapins and Northwestern Wildcats are wildcards, but those should be easily winnable at the "Shoe."
Day likely relishes the opportunity to further prove himself to a fanbase that could grow antsy if he doesn't deliver more hardware after his 2024/2025 national championship.
You figure he does relish it, anyway. Very few do it better when it matters most.
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