Three Things Ohio State's Ryan Day Must Do Next Season to Avoid Another Playoff Exit

Here are three key actions that the Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day need to take next season to avoid another playoff exit.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches from the sideline during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even though Ohio State's head coach, Ryan Day, won the national championship two seasons ago, he will always feel the pressure to win it all again.

The Buckeyes entered this past season's College Football Playoffs as the clear favorites, but they ended up losing to Miami in the quarterfinals.

Day and the Buckeyes cannot afford another collapse in the playoffs. Here are a few strategies they could implement this season to avoid an early playoff exit.

Get the offense going more

One of the most notable features of Ohio State's offense was its noticeably slow pace. The Buckeyes operated one of the lowest-tempo offenses in the country last season, meaning they took quite a while to snap the ball on the play clock.

While it was a smart decision to keep their defense strong, it ultimately caught up with them as the season went on. Ohio State struggled to get its offense going during losses to Indiana and Miami, managing to score only a combined total of 24 points in those games.

The Buckeyes need to start "pushing the gas" earlier in the season, so that when the playoffs arrive and they find themselves down by two scores, they'll be prepared to respond effectively.

Lean on Arthur Smith

Ohio State hired Arthur Smith as its next offensive coordinator, and Day needs to allow him to do his job. Day is an offensive-minded head coach, but Smith brings years of experience as an NFL head coach and offensive coordinator.

Day needs to step back in the offensive room and let Smith take the lead. This will also help Day maintain better focus during games, freeing him from concerns about the offense. Former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly took over the offense in 2024, allowing Day to focus less on play-calling. This shift helped him remain more concentrated and effective in his role.

It's okay to lose a regular season game or two

Everyone hopes the Buckeyes can go undefeated and win the championship, but sometimes losing a few games can actually be beneficial.

In 2024, Ohio State finished the season 10-2 and ultimately clinched the championship. The losses it experienced throughout the year proved valuable, as it highlighted areas for improvement. The Buckeyes' sole defeat before the playoffs came in the 2025 Big Ten title game, when they fell to Indiana by just three points.

Clearly, Ohio State didn't gain much insight from its loss against Indiana, and perhaps another defeat last season could have highlighted more of its weaknesses.