The Ohio State football program is the reigning national champion of the college football world. Their four-game College Football Playoff run will go down in history as perhaps the greatest four-game run ever. They emerged victorious and will get to live as champions for a year.
Now, they have to deal with the consequences of winning. The Buckeyes have to replace multiple coaches heading into next season. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is now in the NFL, as is offensive line coach Justin Frye. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is now at Penn State.
This is one of the costs of being champions that the Ohio State Buckeyes must pay. If they want to consistently be at this level, other programs will try to poach their coaches. Ryan Day understands this and he is willing to pay the cost of what it takes to be champions.
The Ohio State football program is ready to pay the cost of excellence
Getting new coaches isn't the only thing that the Ohio State football program will have to do for the next few years to stay at this level. They will also have to keep spending money in the NIL space. The athletic department needs to get their spending in order as well.
Ohio State has a $38 million deficit in the first year of Ross Bjork's tenure. That is not sustainable, no matter how much money the football program brings in. They are going to need more help from fans to fund NIL collectives so the athletic department doesn't have to.
Still, these are the costs that are necessary in today's college football climate. The Buckeyes are on top of this, and Day is as well. He understands that this is the price of success, and he is willing to pay it. The question is whether or not fans are going to be willing to pay it moving forward.
The first priority for Day and the rest of the program is to get new coaches in place. They won't be rushed into doing so, but this could be a normal thing if they keep winning. It's the cost of success.