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Paul Finebaum: Ryan Day's coaching future at Ohio State is 'not fine' with loss to Tennessee

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•12/16/24•

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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ryan Day and his future at Ohio State is very murky, according to Paul Finebaum. Well actually, it’s “not fine,” as Finebaum said during his SportsCenter segment Monday afternoon.

Day is coming off a fourth straight loss to Michigan to end the regular season, but the Buckeyes managed to make the College Football Playoff as the No. 7 seed, hosting Tennessee. The home crowd could very well be against Day if it goes sideways.

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If Ohio State loses to Tennessee, Day might not be around in 2025, if it were up to Finebaum.

“Not fine,” Finebaum said of Day’s job status. “And nobody likes a call for the head of a coach as successful as Ryan Day. But let me remind the world who isn’t aware, and I don’t think there are many who are not aware, that Ryan Day has completely blown this season by losing again to Michigan. That is four in a row. And should this game Saturday night go haywire for him, I think he’s gonna have a very hard time keeping his job. That stadium could erupt negatively against him, and even though the athletic director has given him a vote of confidence. I don’t think it means anything.”

Finebaum wasn’t the only one to suggest the Ohio State crowd would be restless when it came to Day. Kirk Herbstreit said Ohio State could’ve benefited from a road game in the playoff.

Day simply laughed that one off, when it came to home boos.

“Well, that happens sometimes on a three and out anyway, so we’re good, we’re used to it,” Day said while laughing. “Now I mean, we’re fired up to be at home, we can’t wait to be at home. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. And our guys are fired up to go finish the season with a win in Ohio Stadium.”

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But, it is what it is at this point and Day and the Buckeyes are ready for Tennessee in the first round.

“I think when you looked at it last week, you could kind of sort of project out where you might be,” Day said. “This was one of the projections that we saw. So we’ve been looking at these guys and a couple other opponents. But we’re fired up. We’re obviously excited about playing the first ever playoff game in Ohio Stadium. Ohio Stadium has been around a long time, over a 100 years. There’s been a lot of great games, but never a playoff game like this. And so night game, 8 o’clock, it’s gonna be electric. 

“Our guys are gonna be excited about this. And so as we head into our preparation, it’s gonna be on us fast,” Day continued. “And when you look at tournament play, you look at playoffs, we all know that that first game is very, very important. So it’s not a bowl prep. It’s very different. It’s a quick turnaround. And all of our focus is on these guys.”