I am not going to give my opinion on whether Day should be let go or not, but I felt it would be smart to address the successes and (my perceived) shortfalls he has had as head coach:
Pros:
1) Recruiting under Day has possibly elevated from the time Meyer was HC. Recruiting is the foundation and building blocks of having elite, national title winning teams. Wide Receiver recruiting is at an all-time high, and Day has our defensive recruiting moving in the right direction, especially on the back end, where it looks like our secondary will be elite for years to come. Could this be sustained if he left? Is the recruiting angle an oversell for Day and the program recruits itself? We have seen how one bad hire could quickly put your program at risk of spiraling downhill for the next 15 years, such as at UF.
2) Our passing game (outside of this year) under Day has been elite and he has consistently put out top 3 offenses in the country. Even what was considered a down year this year, Day had us at a top 2 passing offense in the Big Ten.
3) Ryan Day has a willingness to adapt. We have seen program heads the likes of Lincoln Riley, who are extremely arrogant, stubborn, and not willing to address the obvious, glaring concerns and make proper personnel changes. Day hiring Jim Knowles was the best thing he could have done for our defense.
4) Day is an extremely likable guy. He has shown the fire and passion he has for his guys (see: end of Notre Dame game), and that’s exactly what any kid would want to see in their coach/future coach. He is also likable off the field and has made national headlines for his amazing work on mental health awareness and was also awarded Father of the Year by the National Father’s Council. This could also be perceived as a con, as fans could become numb to his shortfalls and willing to give him a pass and become loyal to him because he’s a nice guy.
Cons:
1) This one is debatable but it is MY perceived shortfall. Outside of 2018, with Haskins, OSU has seemingly struggled to beat Michigan teams without having a mobile QB. Day’s offensive philosophy seems to show that he is okay with NOT having an “athlete” at QB (McCord was a statue all season and while at OSU, CJ Stroud didn’t really move the ball with his feet). I think having that extra threat on the ground by a QB would benefit the offense with extending plays, keeping the drive alive, and would elevate the overall rushing attack.
2) I strongly believe a team feels the temperament of a coach. Day has shown a tendency to play not to lose. He constantly gets timid and makes a handful of conservative decisions and it has costed us in tight situations.
3) What happened to Day’s QB room? There is lots of blame falling on McCord (rightfully so as he never should have made that pass that gift wrapped a TD for Michigan), but Day recruited McCord. It still falls on his shoulders. Why was McCord the best option in the QB room that Day is responsible for the development of? Why was Day (being the QB guru he is) unable to see that McCord benefited from having an all-world receiver to throw to in high school when recruiting him? Both Fields and Stroud were elite coming out of high school. Day was able to pull Fields from Georgia and Stroud won the Elite 11 finals. Controversial take: Was the elite talent of Fields and Stroud covering for a development issue at QB? By no means did a QB have to be the next Stroud but why was there such a massive drop off at QB and how was McCord possibly the best option in HIS qb room?
4) He is a tier above him, but Day has become our James Franklin. Despite recruiting being elite, when all things and talent are equal, Day almost always falls short. He is now 1-3 versus Michigan, 1-4 as an underdog, and 1-6 versus top 5 teams. Is Day simply at the advantage of “who is the better option if you get rid of me?”, which is also very valid. However, this play in big games has made “Ohio State” synonymous with “overrated” in conversations of the rest of the college football world.
