Paul Finebaum suggests Ohio State fire Ryan Day with Michigan loss, College Football Playoff ouster

Ohio State enters the season with a roster filled to the brim with talent that has national championship contender written all over it. But is it national championship or bust for the Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day as he enters the sixth season at the helm?

College football analyst Paul Finebaum was asked that exact question Wednesday morning on ESPN’s Get Up. Drawing on Day’s failure to bring a national championship back to Columbus and his recent record against the rival team up north.

“I don’t think he has to win the national championship, but here’s what he doesn’t need to do,” Finebaum said. “If he loses to Michigan, which would be four in a row, and somehow gets bounced out of the playoffs, perhaps before the final game, I think the decision could be to get rid of him.”

“And I know that sounds outrageous, because he has a gaudy record, but you heard Louis [Riddick] lay it out. Nobody’s got, other than maybe Kirby Smart and I don’t even think he does, the amazing roster that Ryan Day has. And if you can’t win with that roster, it’s time to find someone who can,” Finebaum added.

Day led the Buckeyes to two straight Big Ten titles in his first two years with the program, but since then the Buckeyes have not been able to win another Bid Ten Championship. Also failing to win a national title with a 1-3 record in the College Football Playoff for a program that expects to take home hardware year in and year out.

A 56–8 record while at the helm for the Buckeyes is undeniable for Day and a win percentage that very few college head coaches have been able to achieve. So if the Buckeyes do fall short and part ways with Day, who could possibly replace him?

“It’s a great question,” Finebaum admitted. “Who could replace Nick Saban? Who can replace anyone? But ultimately, you find someone and you find someone who can win a big game. And that’s something that Ryan Day has been unable to do with the best talent.”

A majority of Ohio State’s key contributors from last season decided to turn down going to the NFL and return to the Buckeyes for one last shot at a national title. With several elite, proven players like Caleb Downs and Quinshon Judkins also joining the program this offseason to round out their roster in a borderline unprecedented way.

The Buckeyes may be loaded, but the stakes and road to a national championship are higher and more difficult than ever in a new-look Big Ten Conference and expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Making it even more intriguing to see how the Buckeyes fare this year and what the future of Day holds moving forward.