Daily briefing: On Ryan Day, David Shaw and Luke Fickell vs. Jim Leonhard

Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:

Ryan Day finding out about devastating losses

In each of his first two seasons at Ohio State, Ryan Day made the College Football Playoff. In his third season, the Buckeyes won the Rose Bowl. Going into Saturday, Day had a record of 45-4. But no college football head coach has completed a career without devastating losses. Day took a big dose of devastation Saturday in that 45-23 loss to archrival Michigan. Forget all that was at stake – the Big Ten East, cementing a Playoff berth, reasserting control of the rivalry. The Buckeyes lost by playing a dreadful second half. As nonsensical as it may be, “Fire Ryan Day” trended on Twitter. Now Day gets to learn firsthand that no one gets out of coaching alive. Asked for answers in the postgame news conference, Day shrugged three times in the first seven minutes. “I certainly know what this game means to everybody,” Day said, “and so when you lose, it all comes back to me. I’m the head coach, and that’s probably what hurts the most.” It took 50 games for Day to officially be a head coach.

David Shaw’s replacement won’t have it easy

David Shaw leaves Stanford as the winningest coach (96-54) in the program’s venerable history, no small feat at a school that has former coaches in the College (Pop Warner, Clark Shaughnessy and John Ralston, among others) and Pro (Bill Walsh) Football Halls of Fame. In 12 seasons, Shaw won three conference championships and two Rose Bowls, and finished with .640 winning percentage even after the Cardinal struggled in three of his final four seasons (14-28). The next Stanford coach not only has a major rebuilding job ahead, he must do so at a school that has adapted to the new college football environment the way the South accepted integration – with all deliberate speed. Forget dipping into the transfer portal; Stanford is just getting around to accepting midyear enrollees. The prestige of the school, the beauty of the Bay Area and the opportunity to work with bright young men always will make Stanford an attractive job. But it’s not getting any easier.

Wisconsin hire shows that success > sentiment

Thanks for playing, Jim Leonhard, but Wisconsin decided that sentiment is no match for success. Leonhard, the defensive coordinator and former Badger All-American, performed well as the interim coach, but if you can pry Luke Fickell out of Cincinnati, there’s no decision to make. You do it. Fickell has had plenty of opportunities to leave the Bearcats, who he turned into a national power (a playoff berth in 2021, 53-10 over the past five seasons). Thanksgiving may be the traditional kickoff of Silly Season, but the Big Ten filled its openings with the best NFL candidate (fired Panthers coach Matt Rhule to Nebraska) and the best college coach looking to move up. Auburn, Colorado, Georgia Tech and now Cincinnati? The bar is raised.