Ryan Day Opens Up About Ohio State’s Unrelenting Expectations

The Ohio State standard is not satisfied by one national championship season. Head coach Ryan Day still has plenty of work to do in Columbus.

Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Ohio State head coach Ryan Day speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

There has been pressure on Ryan Day from day one as the Ohio State Buckeyes’ head coach. It comes with the territory of the position. 

But when it comes to the current head coach, the reigning national champion, his pressure seems so different from what Urban Meyer had before him, Jim Tressel before him, and so on. Day mentioned it himself in an interview with NBC Sports, the expectation in Columbus is for the Buckeyes to win every single game.

Day has a career record of 70-10, has his first national championship under his belt and a couple of Big Ten Championships too. But even with the national championship monkey completely off his back, the pressure to be successful at Ohio State isn’t gone, it’s just changed into something different.

Ryan Day Knows the Standard at Ohio State Never Slips

“When you win one, you get a certain level of trust, and you know I think the guys in the building, the coaches, they believe in what you're doing because you've won one before,” Day said. “In other ways, it's not much different at all because you have to continue to still win, that’s not going to change.”

Without a doubt, winning one championship just makes the fanbase hungrier for the next one. Even at a program like Ohio State, which now has nine national championships, the race for No. 10 is on.

“I think it’s the same feelings you have every single year is that you're trying to focus on being the best team you possibly can, especially down the stretch. With the playoffs system the way it is, you've got to peak at the end of the season,” Day said. “It’s a different approach, but ultimately it's a focus on right now and literally focus on what you can control.”

Of course, with the playoff system in place, there’s little excuse for the Buckeyes not to reach the tournament by one fashion or another. Still, even with the expectation to reach that mark every season, the pressure shifts in other areas where Day has already fallen short.

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The Buckeyes haven’t won or played in a Big Ten Championship since 2020. Ohio State hasn’t beaten Michigan since 2019. The Buckeyes are struggling in certain aspects of high school recruiting. These are where the pressures lie for Ryan Day, and each of these matters to Buckeyes fans.

It’s why Ohio State fans won’t relent on the pressure they put on their head coach. They demand perfection, and based on recent success, have grounds for their demands. Buckeye fans are content with a national championship, without a doubt. But there’s always more work to be done to stay on top of the college football mountain.