Bruce Feldman on Ryan Day's future at Ohio State: 'It is national championship or bust'

FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman believes Ryan Day’s future at Ohio State comes down to national championship or bust.

Day is at that point of his coaching career, which feels much longer than it’s been. Coming into 2024, Day and the Buckeyes are on the shortlist for the national title in college football.

That just means there’s a lot more pressure in Columbus.

“I hate to say it like this but I feel like it is national championship or bust for them,” Feldman said on The Herd. “You know people forget they came within a field goal of probably winning the national title (when playing the CFP semifinal against Georgia). I mean they were up by double digits. (CJ) Stroud played great and played like what he’s doing in the NFL. And then Marvin Harrison Jr. gets knocked out of the game … 

“They would have beaten TCU, I think we would all agree on that. And he would have a national title but he would have been coming off of you know, I don’t know if that would have changed, if there’s pressure off them, and they would have beat Michigan last year.”

Day is 56-8 as a head coach at Ohio State and never lost more than two games in a single season.

“I think he’s a terrific coach,” Feldman said. “His record is fantastic. You know he has lost the one game that matters most. It’s not the game, the only game that matters …As successful as Urban (Meyer) was, Urban had games where he would stub his toe. I mean, they got drilled by Purdue, they got drilled by Iowa, like Ryan Day isn’t having those games … 

“I think with this, it’s an interesting fit now. You talked about like, because they have produced an elite group of receivers and they’ve had really good passing games and they’re the one offense in the Big Ten that has been very dynamic, right? I think now you know he brings Chip Kelly back with him, they know each other well. Chip Kelly always runs the heck out of the football.”

As Feldman alluded to, Kelly is a new dynamic for Day to consider with his offense. Perhaps it’s the last remaining piece to the puzzle.

“I also think he has a pressure release valve for him because nobody knows Ryan Day better than he does,” Feldman said. “And I think with all this stuff kind of swarming around him, I think a lot of things broke well for Ohio State. (Jim) Harbaugh leaving definitely breaks well because Harbaugh like him or not, he gave them such an identity of physical toughness. And I’m not saying that Sherrone Moore can’t keep that but it’s going to be harder to sustain it.”’

With what Day and Ohio State did in the offseason, there might be no more excuses this fall.

“Ohio State because of the way they lost, it seems like their NIL (people) have really responded,” Feldman said. “You know, they got Caleb Downs, who’s arguably the best defensive player in the country, leaves Alabama, had a phenomenal freshman year. I think he will make a huge difference for them. And, you know, they continue to recruit well. 

“I think it’s them and Georgia, for the national title, and we’ll see how the season plays out, but I think they’re right there and I think this is a great chance for Ryan Day to prove a lot of people wrong.”