If he is not fired, I will leave the Ohio State Buckeyes head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his star player.

If he is not fired, I will leave the Ohio State Buckeyes head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his star player.

I will step down as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes if he is not fired because of a disagreement with a key player.

Today, I’m going to make a somewhat controversial statement: I’m not ready to declare that Ryan Day ought to be fired from his position as head coach of Ohio State. I am aware that a great number of individuals in Buckeye Nation and here at Land-Grant Holy Land strongly disagree and, to be honest, were prepared for such a bold move long before yesterday’s game debacle.

Though I still believe it’s a little early to move on from Day, I stand by my postgame essays from yesterday; the Buckeyes’ problems in recent years have been mostly the result of the head coach’s and the coaching staff’s inadequacies.

I believe that rather than building a style of play that was natural for the group of players they had recruited, they have frequently chosen to chase a reputation or approach to the game that just didn’t fit the team as it was put together. Without a doubt, Ohio State has the talent to accomplish its objectives, and I have the utmost respect for the players’ commitment, sacrifice, and hard work—or, to be honest, the coaches’ as well.

Regretfully, the Buckeyes are now facing their opponents, a situation they haven’t faced in this century due to the coaches’ shortcomings. I stated that Ohio State “can, should, and must do better” in a piece published yesterday. It’s unlikely that Gene Smith, the athletic director, would inquire about my thoughts, but in the event that he did, I would explain that while I am prepared to give Day a chance to improve, certain things need to change.

Day is, in my opinion, both an excellent offensive coordinator and a better person. With maybe one exception, I believe he has what it takes to succeed as this organization’s CEO. He was obviously unprepared for some of the things that come with being in control at this, or any, level, though, having leaped a few rungs on the coaching ladder to become Ohio State’s head coach.

We knew going into Day’s leadership position that he would be learning on the job to some extent, but early successes and a season affected by the pandemic covered up some of Day’s coaching inadequacies in the first two years of his tenure, which have now come back to haunt him in years three and four. First and foremost, I believe that he lacks the fiercely competitive and killing mentality that is apparently necessary to succeed at the highest levels.

I have long lamented the pitiful people who enter the coaching field and limit themselves to having an intensely competitive mindset. That’s partly why I’ve been drawn to Day; he looks like a different kind of coach—one who considers issues outside of sports and how the pressures of the game affect the kids under his supervision. However, there might need to be a compromise of some kind.

Urban Meyer had that kind of killing instinct when he moved to Columbus, but it seems to have led to some really poor choices, which probably accelerated his burnout and health problems. By the time he “retired,” in fact, Meyer had almost entirely lost that aspect of himself; he was no longer coming up with novel offensive strategies, and he had refused for years to make the staffing adjustments that were painfully clear to all those in attendance.

Regretfully, I believe that Day had already started his profession at that point. Although he replaced most of the defensive staff last season, which was a clearly necessary move, he still seems hesitant to make necessary changes if doing so would upset the apple cart. His inability to keep up with the necessary changes on the offensive side of the ball has been glaringly obvious for multiple years now, whether due to time management or his unique personality.

That being said, I think coaches can advance from year to year in the same way that I think athletes can. Coaches must, however, invest the time to perform the sometimes painful task of self-evaluation to pinpoint their areas of weakness and then undertake the research, critical thinking, and rehabilitation required to improve. This is in contrast to the endless hours that players must spend in the weight room and performing drills.

Additionally, if Day is fired, who do you get to take over as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers? Luke Fickell now holds that position. Mike Vrabel would have to be Smith’s top priority, I suppose, but what do you do with Deion Sanders if he decides not to leave the NFL? Kiffin Lane? Matt Rhule? Leipold, Lance? Jeff on a Saturday? Which Stoops brother is it? Encourage Brian Hartline to speak up. Tony Alford? Whether any of those choices are an improvement over the current coach is unknown to me at this time.

What then can Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day do to right this rapidly failing ship? I’m delighted you inquired, Mr. Smith, as I have some recommendations: