Ohio State’s loss to USC left Ryan Day facing the kind of questions that come fast when a season starts to wobble, and one of the biggest centered on whether he might shake up his staff during the year.
For now, Day isn’t going there.
During his weekly press conference, he was asked directly about in-season coaching changes. Day said he’s not ruling out that kind of move in the right situation, but he’s not ready to make one now. He also pointed to the broader problem, saying Ohio State has to clean up issues with personnel, coaching and execution.
Ryan Day said he’s not against in-season staff changes when appropriate, but “I’m not in that frame of mind right now.” Day said Ohio State needs to address several issues, from personnel to coaching and execution.
That stance makes sense given the timing. Ohio State just doesn’t appear to have an obvious internal fix waiting in the wings if someone were moved out now.
The most likely name to draw scrutiny is Tyler Bowen, the offensive line coach, who has not shown much in the way of developing the unit. The recruiting side hasn’t helped his case either, since he has not landed a blue-chip recruit.
If he isn’t developing the players already on campus or bringing in top talent, that question is going to linger.
Still, any real movement there sounds more like an offseason conversation than a midseason one.
The bigger issue is where Ohio State stands after the USC loss. The Buckeyes are still alive for the College Football Playoff, but the margin for error is gone.
They have to win out, and that gets a lot harder with a backup quarterback. Fahey is set to start again, and he doesn’t bring the same ceiling that Julian Sayin does.
This is a familiar kind of pressure point for Day. Ohio State hasn’t been backed into a corner like this since the 2024 season, after the loss to TTUN. At that point, Day was taking heat from a restless fan base, and plenty of people were ready to move on from him if the Buckeyes had also lost to Tennessee.
Instead, he steadied the program and ended up guiding Ohio State to a national championship.
Now he has to do it again, only this time the immediate goal is just getting back into the playoff field. There are four games left, and the Buckeyes can’t afford another slip if they want to make the dance.
If they miss the CFP, the offseason conversation could get uncomfortable in a hurry. Day’s job is safe after the 2024 title, but that security would not last forever if Ohio State were to stumble again in a 24-team expanded CFP. He knows how this business works.
So while staff changes may be coming later, they aren’t happening right now. Ohio State’s best chance is to stay together and try to fight its way through the rest of the season with the group it has.
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Explains Tense Ohio State Exchange After USC Statement Win
USCs 30-18 win over Ohio State ended with more than just a statement on the scoreboard, as Lincoln Riley and Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork were involved in a brief verbal exchange on the field afterward. It was the kind of postgame moment that can linger a little longer than the game itself, especially after a result that carried real weight for both programs.
Riley brushed it off in his press conference, calling it a non-issue and saying the emotions of the moment spilled over before the two sides moved on quickly. He did not get into what set it off, leaving the scene as one of those tense little footnotes that follows a big win and invites a little more curiosity than the coach was willing to satisfy. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Oregon Upset Hopes Suddenly Rest On An Unplanned Change
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For the Buckeyes to keep pace with Oregon, the formula looks straightforward even if the execution is not. Fahey has to be protected, Jeremiah Smith needs to be part of the offense early and often, and the defense has to make life uncomfortable for Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola. Oregon enters at 5-3, and with both teams trying to steady themselves, this matchup suddenly feels like it could hinge on how well Ohio State handles an unplanned pivot. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Got A Brutal CFP Wake-Up Call
The first 12-team College Football Playoff rankings delivered an early jolt to the race, and Ohio State came out on the wrong side of it. The Buckeyes landed at No. 12, just outside the current field, after a recent loss and a quarterback injury helped push them down in the eyes of the selection committee.
Notre Dame checked in one spot ahead of Ohio State at No. 11, leaving both programs with work to do if they want to climb back into position. For the Buckeyes, the path forward is about more than style points now - they need to steady the season and make the committee reconsider before the bracket starts to harden. [Read more 🡒]