Ryan Day

Ohio State legend Maurice Clarett is ready to sound the alarm following the Buckeyes' third straight loss to Michigan on Saturday.

Clarett posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, following Ohio State's 30-24 loss to Michigan that he wants longtime Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day fired:

Man…barely 2 hours 🤣 #Buckeyes #Wolverines pic.twitter.com/7Wd5xnvhJX

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) November 25, 2023

https://twitter.com/ReeseClarett13/status/1728519713678885116

Ohio State hasn't defeated Michigan since Nov. 30, 2019, in Ann Arbor. It's the first time since 1995-97 under John Cooper that the Buckeyes have lost three straight to the Wolverines.

The Wolverines trounced the Buckeyes 42-27 in 2021 and 45-23 in 2022. However, Saturday's loss might sting the most as Ohio State had the opportunity to win the matchup with a late game-winning drive.

With under 30 seconds remaining in Saturday's game, no timeouts and Ohio State down 30-24, Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord threw an interception that sealed the win for Michigan.

INTERCEPTION@UMichfootball SEALS THE GAME 〽️ pic.twitter.com/37lF1aVeqo

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023

Saturday's loss will also sting for the Buckeyes as the Wolverines were without head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was suspended for the remainder of the regular season by the Big Ten amid an investigation into a sign-stealing scandal.

The loss dropped Ohio State to 11-1 on the season while Michigan improved to 12-0 to earn a berth in the Big Ten championship game. The Wolverines' win also likely means a shakeup to the College Football Playoff picture is coming.

Day has been head coach of the Buckeyes since the 2018 campaign and he has compiled a 56-7 record in that span. Ohio State has only lost to Michigan, Georgia, Oregon, Alabama and Clemson with Day at the helm.

OSU has also only reached the national championship game once under Day, which came during the 2020 season when the Buckeyes fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

With the Buckeyes still likely to make the College Football Playoff, it might be a little too early for Clarett to be calling for Day to be fired. They still have the chance to win a title and perhaps get some revenge on the Wolverines in the process.

This feeling is becoming a little too normal for Ryan Day and the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes.

For the third-consecutive year they loss to arch rival Michigan, this time in heartbreaking fashion as quarterback Kyle McCord threw an interception on the potential game-winning drive.

"Hard to describe," Day said of the mood around the team postgame. "Just sick. The fact that we came up short in this game—you work your whole year for it—and we came up short."

In addition to losing to the team up north and missing out on a chance to compete in the Big 10 championship game, the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff chances also took a really big hit.

Especially with a huge PAC 12 championship game coming up next week between Washington and Oregon, Day and his squad can't do anything but sit back and hope they've done enough to warrant a spot in the top four.

While it was a slow start for the Buckeyes, there were certainly some questionable calls by Day over the course of the afternoon. In the closing minutes of the first half, the 44-year old opted to let plenty of time come off the clock and attempt a 52-yard field goal instead of trying to drive a little further down the field for a potential touchdown or even a closer field goal attempt.

Instead, kicker Jayden Fielding missed it. The Wolverines ultimately went on to win the game by six. Perhaps McCord doesn't throw that interception if he doesn't need to be so aggressive on the final drive.

After winning his first game against Michigan in 2019, Day hasn't been able to get the best of the Wolverines since, losing three straight as the 2020 edition of the matchup was cancelled due to COVID.

It's a big change up from the 7-0 record that Urban Meyer had during his tenure.

In one of the most anticipated college football games of the season, No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 2 Ohio State 30-24 to secure their ticket to the Big Ten Championship game and a potential College Football Playoff appearance as well.

Although Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day led his team to a perfect 11-0 record prior to Saturday's contest, this is now the third consecutive year that his group has been defeated by the Wolverines.

With Jim Harbaugh still serving a three-game suspension, interim head coach Sherrone Moore helped Michigan jump out to a 14-10 lead at the half. The Buckeyes tied the contest 17-17 in the third quarter, although they weren't able to take the lead.

Ohio State fans were frustrated with Day's inability to overcome the school's Big Ten rival.

Ryan Day vs. Michigan 1-3
Ryan Day vs. rest of Big Ten 40-0

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 25, 2023

Ryan Day might be a fraud. The Ohio State brand gets the athletes. Day chokes every year

— Rocky (@D_Rockafellow) November 25, 2023

We ran the ball down their throats last drive. What should we do now?

“How about we completely abandon that strategy”

-Ryan Day pic.twitter.com/VUsLnBk5MS

— DollarDog Nick (@DollarDogNick) November 25, 2023

Ryan Day may be the biggest fraud in college football lol

— Justin Frommer (@JustinbFrommer) November 25, 2023

Ryan Day can’t beat Jim Harbaugh. Ryan Day can’t beat an interim head coach.

Ryan Day’s time in Columbus should probably come to an end.

— Grant Puskar (@grant_puskar_) November 25, 2023

Fire Ryan Day soon as the clock hits 0 we have all seen enough.

— Colb (@___Colb___) November 25, 2023

Not calling timeout there is an abysmal decision by Ryan Day. Had you called timeout, Michigan is almost forced to run so make sure :40 bleeds off.

Since they didn’t, now Michigan can run or pass. Just terrible game management.

— nick wright (@getnickwright) November 25, 2023

Ryan day biggest fraud in college football.

— rob (@rreagles20) November 25, 2023

Ryan Day running that chill relaxed offense not caring about the time in the 4th quarter cost us a chance.

Don’t understand how coaches who get paid millions have no idea how to manage the clock, in the game they get paid millions to coach in.

— Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O) November 25, 2023

Ryan Day has lost an entire fan base. Goodluck to him

— bryce (@theyhatebryce) November 25, 2023

Ohio State and Ryan Day had the perfect chance to prove the last two years were a fluke. Instead, nothing has changed. Disappointing.

— Andrew Lind (@AndrewMLind) November 25, 2023

Quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, completing 60 percent of his passes. He threw two interceptions, however. McCord's second was costly, ending the game on Ohio State's final drive of the afternoon.

INTERCEPTION@UMichfootball SEALS THE GAME 〽️ pic.twitter.com/37lF1aVeqo

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2023

Standout wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. continued his tremendous season, racking up 118 yards and a touchdown on five receptions.

The Buckeyes defense struggled though, allowing a season-high 30 points. They were only able to sack Wolverines signal-caller J.J. McCarthy once.

Ohio State fell to 11-1, missing the Big Ten Championship game for the third straight year.

Ahead of Ohio State's showdown with Michigan on Saturday, Ryan Day's name has popped up as a potential option to become Texas A&M's new head coach.

On Big Noon Kickoff, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and Fox Sports said the Aggies are "optimistic" about Day at least being willing to speak with them if the Buckeyes lose to Michigan.

"The Aggies I think are optimistic that if they don't win The Game, that Ryan Day might be open to their pitch."@BruceFeldmanCFB shares the latest on both Texas A&M and Michigan State's Head Coach search ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/7uYuoKVWal

— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) November 25, 2023

ESPN's Pete Thamel added that Kentucky's Mark Stoops is "one name that's expected to emerge" in A&M's coaching search.

Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher on Nov. 12 after a 51-10 win over Mississippi State. Thamel noted the move would likely cost the program $76 million based on the terms of Fisher's contract buyout.

There has been some increasing chatter of late about Day potentially going to College Station. Billy Liucci of TexAgs Radio (starts at 5:15 mark) said on Wednesday there is "smoke" around the Ohio State head coach, but he's "skeptical" it's real and not an agent trying to drum up interest to increase leverage in extension talks.

It will be interesting to see how aggressive Texas A&M is in trying to find a new coach.

In a story by Feldman, Sam Khan Jr. and Max Olson about Fisher's failings with the Aggies, one former assistant on the coaching staff said the program should have "sky-high" expectations "because of the resources they have."

Given how much money Fisher is still owed and what it will take to land a marquee name, Texas A&M will have to go deep into its pool of financial resources to make it happen.

Feldman, Khan and Olson cited Duke's Mike Elko, UTSA's Jeff Traylor, Kansas' Lance Leipold and Arizona's Jedd Fisch among the names that have been connected to Texas A&M.

Day is under contract to Ohio State through the 2028 season and is making $9.5 million per year. His buyout is currently $5 million, though it decreases by $500,000 annually on Jan. 31.

The Buckeyes named Day acting head coach in August 2018 after Urban Meyer was placed on administrative leave. He took over the job full-time starting with the 2019 season.

Day has a 56-6 record and led the program to Big Ten titles in each of his first two seasons. The Buckeyes have made the College Football Playoff in each of the past four seasons.

Ohio State has lost its last two games against Michigan. The Buckeyes haven't lost three straight against their Big Ten rival since 1995 to '97.

In a blow to message-board fodder in some corners of college football fandom, there is reportedly no evidence that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and his family were involved in the ongoing investigation into Michigan's sign-stealing scandal.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the NCAA told the Big Ten on Monday that it did not find any evidence that Day or members of his family were behind the ongoing investigation.

"Over the weekend, one particular story gained attention in a viral nature," Dellenger explained. "The story targeted Day and his family members for their involvement in the NCAA's investigation. Day and family members have received threats as a result of the story."

While the Michigan situation figures to last into the offseason given the often slow pace of NCAA investigations, there could be a ruling and potential punishment from the Big Ten this week.

Earlier Monday, Dellenger and Dan Wetzel reported the NCAA provided the Big Ten with some of its findings, including the lack of a smoking gun to tie Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to the in-person scouting and the recording of opponents' sidelines.

For now, the only thing that has happened is the resignation of low-level staffer Connor Stalions. Harbaugh has denied any knowledge of the sign-stealing scheme, although there have been plenty of pictures and videos of Stalions standing near and interacting with the head coach and coordinators on both sides of the ball as opponents signaled in their plays during games.

Separate sources also indicated that upon viewing the photos that @TomOrr4 posted last night on Twitter, the belief inside the Ohio State program is that the laminated signal sheet in question was indeed OSU's signals. pic.twitter.com/DbRUV79o1I

— Marc Givler (@MarcGivler) October 24, 2023

Dellenger reported Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti met with Michigan officials Friday and received pushback when he suggested a multi-game suspension for Harbaugh.

What's more, the school is apparently preparing to take legal action if there is a suspension for the head coach, adding another layer to the situation Petitti is attempting to navigate. The legal action could delay any punishments or suspensions long enough for the undefeated Wolverines, who are No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings, to pursue a national championship this season.

That Michigan has successfully turned around the program amid this scandal after struggling to live up to its own elevated standards at the start of Harbaugh's tenure surely doesn't sit well with other coaches.

ESPN's Pete Thamel previously reported a "vast majority" of the Big Ten's coaches pressured Petitti to punish the Michigan program during a video call.

"People don't understand the seriousness of it," one source told Thamel. "How it truly impacted the game plan. To truly know if it's a run or a pass, people don't understand how much of an advantage that was for Michigan."

Then there was the survey of head coaches, coordinators, assistants, analysts and staffers from teams in all 10 FBS conferences that Bruce Feldman and Max Olson of The Athletic conducted.

It found that 94 percent of the respondents believe the Wolverines should be punished, 70 percent think Harbaugh was aware of the sign-stealing scheme to a degree and 74 percent think the scandal helped contribute to Michigan's turnaround the past three years.

If nothing else, there will be quite the backdrop for the annual rivalry game between Michigan and Ohio State to end the regular season. Both teams are undefeated and could be playing for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and CFP, but one storyline that won't be a part of it is the suggestion that Day was behind the investigation into the Wolverines.

Not after the NCAA confirmed that was not the case on Monday.

Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz apparently believes he was a motivating factor for Ohio State in Saturday's 17-14 loss for the Fighting Irish.

Appearing on Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich (starts at 69:00 mark), Holtz said he called Marcus Freeman to apologize for putting Notre Dame in a "bad position" going into the team's marquee showdown with the Buckeyes.

"I called Coach Freeman yesterday and apologized because I put him in a bad position, maybe," Holtz said. "I don't feel bad about saying it because I believe it, and Notre Dame was the better football team."

Appearing on the Sept. 22 episode of The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Christopher Breiler of SI.com), Holtz was critical of Day's track record against elite-level competition.

"He has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan twice, and everybody that beats him does so because they're more physical than Ohio State. I think Notre Dame will take that same approach," Holtz said.

After Ohio State escaped South Bend with a victory, Day specifically called out the 86-year-old College Football Hall of Famer during his postgame interview on NBC.

"I'd like to know where Lou Holtz is right now," Day said (h/t 10TV in Columbus). "What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here. We're proud to be from Ohio. It's always been Ohio against the world, and it'll continue to be Ohio against the world. But I'll tell you what: I love those kids. We've got a tough team."

Holtz didn't say anything that Day could reasonably argue against. Closing has been a big problem for his teams in big games. The two losses against Michigan came because the Wolverines wore them down over the course of the game before dominating late.

The Buckeyes have been outscored by a combined score of 56-17 by their Big Ten rivals in the previous two games. Alabama dominated them in a 52-24 win in the 2021 College Football Playoff Championship Game.

In the 2019 College Football Playoff semifinal, Clemson finished the game on a 29-7 run after falling behind 16-0 in the second quarter. Georgia outscored Ohio State 18-3 in the fourth quarter of last year's playoff semifinal.

Granted, it's hard to fault Day too much for losing games to these teams. Three of the five losses were in the College Football Playoff and the two against Michigan determined the Big Ten East representative in the conference championship game.

Ohio State wasn't favored to beat Clemson, Georgia or Alabama. Day has only lost six games during his tenure as Buckeyes head coach, with five of them coming against teams that made the College Football Playoff.

Day's only loss to a non-playoff team was in Week 2 of the 2021 season against an Oregon team that won 10 games and was in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Saturday's showdown was a defensive battle that saw just one field goal in the first half. Notre Dame took a 14-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter on an 11-play, 96-yard drive.

The Buckeyes stole a win almost at the buzzer on Chip Trayanum's touchdown run with one second remaining after Notre Dame's defense got stops on the first two plays from the one-yard line.

Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll as a result of the win. Notre Dame dropped two spots to No. 11.

Holtz had a 34-year coaching career from 1969 to 2004. He's best known for his 11-year stint with the Fighting Irish from 1986 to '96. He went 100-30-2 and won a national title during the 1988 season.

Usually even-keel, Ryan Day let the full range of emotions go following Ohio State's huge victory against No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday night.

Day, who took over the program in 2019 from Urban Meyer, appeared to be tired of criticism of himself, his players and his program following the win and made sure to stick up for his squad in a postgame interview with NBC.

"Everybody's questioning these kids all the time," Day said. "We've had one bad half the last couple years. That's it. Everybody wants to question these guys. These guys are warriors."

Ryan Day never doubted his team's toughness. pic.twitter.com/bPfyp1CvqA

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 24, 2023

Day also made sure to call out former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, who made numerous comments about Ohio State and Day prior to kickoff Saturday night.

"You look at coach Day," Holtz said. "He has lost to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and Michigan twice and everybody beats him because they're more physical than Ohio State."

And Day was not going to bit his tongue after arguably one of the most thrilling wins of his tenure as head coach of the Buckeyes.

"I'd like to know where Lou Holtz is right now," Day said in the interview. "What he said about our team, I cannot believe. This is a tough team right here! We're proud to be from Ohio!"

While Day has occasionally struggled in big games since taking over the program, there's no questioning that he has done a pretty strong job of carrying the mantle from a legend like Meyer.

In five seasons, Day has gone an incredible 49-6, making the College Football Playoff three times, including a national championship appearance in 2020. However, he has gone just 1-3 in the CFP.

Saturday was a monumental win on Day's resume, but he'll of course be measured by how he performs in the biggest game of the season against No. 2 Michigan in November.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day announced Kyle McCord will be the team's full-time starting quarterback moving forward.

While McCord has received the majority of snaps ahead of Devin Brown, Day had yet to definitively select one over the other.

"We have decided that Kyle is going to be the starter, to make that distinction," he told reporters Tuesday. "We still plan on playing Devin, but we feel Kyle has really stepped up and deserves to be the starter."

McCord had a somewhat nondescript final line in the season-opening victory over Indiana (20-of-33 for 239 yards and an interception), and there was little insight to be gleaned when OSU played an overmatched FCS opponent. The same will probably hold true for the Buckeyes' next game at home Saturday against Western Kentucky.

Still, Day was bound to make up his mind quickly because that Sept. 23 matchup with No. 9 Notre Dame is less than two weeks away. Dragging out the QB1 situation wasn't working to anyone's benefit, especially when McCord has done enough to at least look convincingly better than Brown.

The junior is 34-of-53 for 497 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Brown, meanwhile, is 8-of-16 for 99 yards.

Brown's mobility can be a big X-factor when he's on the field.

You've heard that Devin Brown brings a lot of athleticism and mobility.

Here's your first look at it, on a successful 4th-and-7 conversion. 👀 pic.twitter.com/vcDYkrukz9

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 9, 2023

Still, Day reflected after the 35-7 win over Youngstown State how the sophomore "was a little anxious" at times.

Buckeyes fans know all too well how playing musical chairs at quarterback can ruin the flow of an offense over the course of the season. Then-head coach Urban Meyer cycled through J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones as the starter in 2015, and it helped derail Ohio State's national title defense.

McCord might feel like a downgrade for a fanbase that grew accustomed to seeing first-round NFL draft picks under center, but giving him the keys to the offense sooner rather than later was the right call.

Ohio State handled its business in its 2023 debut on Saturday, defeating Indiana 23-3.

But it wasn't exactly a convincing performance, especially on the offensive side of the ball, where starter Kyle McCord didn't exactly light up the Hoosiers' defense, finishing 20-of-39 for 239 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

McCord and Devin Brown competed for the starting job ahead of the season, with McCord winning the gig. Some Ohio State fans weren't so sure Ryan Day made the right choice after the mediocre performance, while others felt the general response to McCord's second career start was harsh and that he improved throughout the game:

We went from Justin Fields to CJ Stroud to Kyle McCord: pic.twitter.com/8e4lFTF1bi

— Terence Fluellen (@FLU_2Cold) September 2, 2023

https://twitter.com/sheffsaysftwat1/status/1698073405721907551

https://twitter.com/madden_tron/status/1698091724021629300

Say what y’all want, I know Stroud struggled but not to this degree. McCord looks terrible. #OhioState

— DON GHANN (@anansipkr) September 2, 2023

Also. McCord has been in this system for 3 YEARS. Why the training wheels?! Is he good enough or not

— B. Moore (@BMoore_LikeME) September 2, 2023

McCord has looked about exactly as I expected, I can’t believe people really thought he’d come in and seamlessly replace the guy who went number two overall

These are humans who need experience & live reps to get better, he will only get better

(Same would go for Brown)

— AthletesInSpace (@AthletesInSpace) September 2, 2023

Just for the comparisons here:

C.J. Stroud’s 1st half at Minnesota in 2021: 8 of 14 for 58 yards and an INT

Kyle McCord’s first half at Indiana in 2023: 9 of 12 for 70 yards and an INT

In both cases, the new quarterback wasn’t elevating things, but he also wasn't the problem

— Stephen Means (@Stephen_Means) September 2, 2023

Kyle McCord is starting to look really strong. Conducting this offense with authority now. He’s clearly comfortable out there now. Running game looks really solid. Buckeyes have about 5-6 dudes who could run for 100 yds any given Saturday. And the defense has been great.

— Sam Block (@theblockspot) September 2, 2023

Kyle McCord looks like a total different QB when Ryan Day opens up the O

— Carrie Lynn (@OSUFAN4U2NV) September 2, 2023

Just when you thought Ohio State was asbout to have the perfect drive capped by a beautiful TD connection between Kyle McCord and Marvin Harrison, there is a weird grabass penalty. Just been that kind of day for Ohio State.

— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) September 2, 2023

You can see the talent McCord has obviously hasn’t been perfect but we are seeing glimpses of it today just have to show patience with him.

— Tyler Johnson (@T_johnson_TJ) September 2, 2023

Day's play-calling and general scheme also came under fire after the ho-hum offensive performance:

Ohio State wideouts in Ryan Day’s offense pic.twitter.com/viITt25bV0

— McNeil (@Reflog_18) September 2, 2023

Imagine what Ohio State could do if Ryan Day wasn’t addicted to boundary runs and also terrified of targeting his best players https://t.co/P07wKVnylb

— Gene Ross (@Gene_Ross23) September 2, 2023

I've seen enough of this conservative Ryan Day play calling

— CleBuckeye (@CleBuckeye23) September 2, 2023

The Ryan Day play-calling rollercoaster is headed back downwards. Dude just absolutely baffles me sometimes.

— Christian Zylstra (@Chizzy_CMZ) September 2, 2023

And that means McCord's overall performance requires some further context.

The offensive line didn't play terribly well. The offensive play-calling seemed surprisingly conservative for long stretches. McCord had a very nice touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. called off by a penalty after Harrison stepped out of bounds during his route.

But Harrison and Emeka Egbuka combining for just five receptions and 34 yards, with no touchdowns, will raise some eyebrows, both about the game plan and also McCord's decision-making. He also made some questionable choices in the run game when called upon, in one particular instance missing a wide open running lane.

"Saw the fork in the road and went straight into the wall" - Jay-Z, "Renegade" pic.twitter.com/8E2ViigNYm

— Colton Denning (@Dubsco) September 2, 2023

Ohio State was fortunate that the defense came to play (and that Indiana's offense is pretty poor, with just—gulp—82 passing yards on the day). Otherwise this game may have been far more interesting than expected.

As it stood, it wasn't exactly the sort of season-opening performance a championship contender like Ohio State would have wanted. It's clear the offense has a lot of work to do going forward, and that starts with the pair of Day and McCord.

As Ohio State approaches this weekend's season opener against Indiana, head coach Ryan Day has made a decision on the team's starting quarterback.

Day told reporters on Tuesday that junior Kyle McCord will get the start, while sophomore Devin Brown will also see some playing time.

Just last week, Day indicated that the quarterback competition between McCord and Brown was still ongoing.

"There was a point twice in camp where I thought one was pulling away from the other. Then two practices went by and the other one really played well and the other one kind of leveled off," Day told ESPN's Tom VanHaaren. "And I would let them know, too, right then and there. I'd say, 'You were pulling away, and he just kind of took over a little bit.' One thing's for sure is they can't take a down off, they can't take a play off."

McCord is the most experienced quarterback on the Buckeyes roster this season. Ohio State has enjoyed strong play at the position over the last few years with Heisman Trophy finalists Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud, who are now starting in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans, respectively.

A 4-star recruit in the class of 2021, McCord has appeared in 12 games with one start over his first two seasons. He has career numbers of 606 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 70.7 percent of his passes.

McCord was also the high school quarterback of Buckeyes star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who is a preseason All-American and one of the best offensive players in the nation. Ohio State is hoping the two of them will be able to continue their chemistry and lead the team to a second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff.