Ryan Day Has Handled Much Bigger Things than Alabama.
We wonder if Ohio State can beat Alabama. Most people who don’t know Script Ohio from the Dewey Decimal System will be surprised if the Buckeyes defeat Nick Saban’s latest juggernaut.
But one thing that is not in question: Will Ryan Day be up to managing the task? If the Buckeyes fall short, coaching isn’t likely to be the issue.
We sort of take that for granted. Which is pretty remarkable, when you think about it.
Then again, the second-year Ohio State coach is off to a remarkable start. Actually, it would be pretty tough to be off to a better start.
Think about the coaching axiom that You Do Not Want to Be the Guy who Follows the Legend. Think about how many programs struggle when The Legend leaves—no matter how much money they spend on the next guy.
When you add in the fact that Day is 41, is from New Hampshire. where he played quarterback and began his coaching career—New Hampshire!—and had only been a Buckeyes assistant for two seasons before AD Gene Smith gave him the keys to one of the nation’s most historic programs when it was at the top of its game. . . this is a somewhat amazing success story.
The most amazing part, again, is that we just take it for granted that if Ohio State loses on Monday, it won’t be because Ryan Day missed something.
Because in two-plus season as a head coach at Ohio State or anywhere else, Day has not missed much.
He is 23-1, including the 3-0 stint at interim coach in 2018 when Smith surprised people by jumping Day ahead of two senior coordinators while Urban Meyer was serving a suspension for mishandling a domestic-violence situation on his staff.
Day's lone defeat was a wrenching 29-23 loss to Clemson a year ago in a national semi-final, a game in which some crazy things happened after Ohio State opened a 16-0 second-quarter lead.
All Day did was plaster that score around the Buckeye weight room. And sure enough, after a year of lifting, Ohio State avenged that loss in stellar fashion, 49-28, to earn this national-championship shot against Alabama.
On top of all that, this was a year where just getting a Big Ten team onto the field was a major proposition. Despite his newness, Ryan was, along with his quarterback, Justin Fields, very vocal about opposing the conference’s decision to cancel the season. And very effective.
And once on the field, Day had to keep the Buckeyes in the hunt. They weathered cancellations, Covid-19 roster problems, nearly being shut out of the conference championship game due to those cancellations, and resistance to giving them a berth in the College Football Playoff because of their short season. . .
When you think about it, what did Ryan Day not have to deal with?
Some say that’s a tribute to a young man who had to grow up fast when his father took his own life when Ryan was 9. The oldest of three brothers, he took solace in sports, and brought intense leadership to football, baseball, whatever game or endeavor he took up.
He was also blessed to cross paths with accomplished coaches like Chip Kelly and Urban Meyer, who gave him opportunity, along the way.
That said, Day has made the most of those opportunities, shown his leadership and football acumen to rise to this height in such a relatively brief time.
If he beats Nick Saban, who is favored to win a seventh national championship, Day will have earned a lofty place in college football lore.
But even if he loses, Ryan Day already has won in so many ways.