Paul Finebaum: Pressure on Ryan Day, Ohio State has 'quieted down' heading into Rose Bowl

Paul Finebaum believes Ryan Day alleviated some of the pressure on himself with Ohio State’s decisive win over Tennessee in the First Round of the College Football Playoff.

That pressure, which stemmed from his fourth-straight loss to the Michigan Wolverines in the regular season, led to discourse about whether the Buckeyes should fire their head coach, so finding a way to put on a dominant performance against the Volunteers went a long way in silencing those critics, including Finebaum.

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“I think most of it has quieted down,” Finebaum said, regarding the pressure Day is feeling to win and save his job in Columbus, via Get Up. “The win over Tennessee being so decisive really helped him. I think, for now, there’s always going to be pressure. He could win the national championship and there would be naysayers in Columbus.

“I think, for now, he’s in better shape. Let me say that. Not great shape, but better shape.”

With the win over Tennessee, Day moved to 67-10 during his time as the head coach at Ohio State. That record now includes two wins in the College Football Playoff, with the other coming back in 2020 under the old four-team format. Coming off five straight seasons with AP Top 10 finishes, the win over Tennessee came despite outside noise questioning if he could get over the hump.

Now, Day and the Buckeyes are headed to the Quarterfinal of the CFP, with a trip to the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. There, the top-seeded Oregon Ducks await the Buckeyes. It’s a game that, when the two sides met earlier in the season, the Ducks won in a thriller. Now, Day is looking to pay Oregon back for that loss. 

Without the added pressure of coaching for his job, perhaps Ryan Day can help Ohio State play fast and loose, and get some revenge on Oregon for their win over the Buckeyes earlier in 2024. If it all comes to fruition, the Buckeyes will be on their way to the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff, and they’ll arguably become the favorite to win the national title when it’s all said and done.

On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this article.