Buckeyes' Ryan Day Slipping Down Big Ten Coach Rankings

Ohio State Buckeyes leading man Ryan Day is no longer the top head coach in the Big Ten, according to CBS Sports.

Coaching rankings are subject to opinion and can only be determined within the eyes of the beholder. Where does Ohio State coach Ryan Day rank among those in the Big Ten entering Year 5 with the Buckeyes?

CBS Sports recently released its Power Five and conference coaching rankings heading into the 2023 season. Day has been a constant in tallying double-digit wins since being hired in place of Urban Meyer in 2019, but recently has lost a bit of flair since dropping a pair of games to rival Michigan in Week 13.

Big Ten coach power rankings only feature two names at the top. This year, Jim Harbaugh took the top spot over Day after leading Michigan to back-to-back conference titles and a pair of College Football Playoff berths. Day ranked second in the conference and No. 8 overall, falling back two spots behind LSU's Brian Kelly and Utah's Kyle Whittingham. 

"The best indicator of Ryan Day's success is that the Buckeyes went 11-2 last year, reached the College Football Playoff, and it hurt his standing among our voters. Seriously, the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and Georgia (two playoff teams!), and people are like, "I don't know, I think he's lost his fastball, you guys." Of course, that comes with the territory when you're the Ohio State coach and you've lost two straight to Michigan." - CBS Sports

Few expect the Buckeyes to regress enough that 10-win seasons start to diminish. Ohio State still features a potent offense, headlined by two future first-round receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. The Buckeyes also return two starting offensive linemen Donovon Jackson and Matt Jones on the interior, blocking for tailbacks TreVeon Henderson and Miyan Williams.

Growth must occur under second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for the Buckeyes to guarantee their spot in the CFP chatter. A year after producing the top FBS defense at Oklahoma State, Knowles laid the groundwork for improvement in Columbus for 2023, upgrading the team's pass rush and secondary unit in practice.

The Buckeyes allowed 22.8 points and nearly 373 yards per game in 2021. A year later, that number only slightly diminished, going to 21.1 points and 321 yards per outing. The sack total, however, decreased (36:34), as did the interception ratio (11:12).

Fans might flock to message boards calling for Day's firing, but it's hard to imagine the former offensive coordinator entering the year on a hot seat. He's 45-6 in four seasons, with only one year ending with two losses in the regular season.

Ohio State also has made the College Football Playoff on three instances under Day's watch, including an appearance national championship against Alabama in 2020. Many around the college football realm believe should the Buckeyes have won over Georiga in the Peach Bowl, they would have dismantled TCU for their first national title since 2014.

Former Buckeyes defensive coordinator and interim head coach Luke Fickell made his debut as a Power Five coach, coming in at No. 3. After leading Cincinnati as the first Group of Five program to make the College Football Playoff, Fickell was hired by Wisconsin in place of Paul Chryst, welcoming a new chapter of football to Madison.

Penn State's James Franklin and Illinois Bret Bielema rounded out the top five after production seasons in State College and Champaign, respectively. New Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, known for his ability to transfer troubling programs into potential contenders, made his Big Ten debut at No. 7 behind Minnesota's PJ Fleck.

Michigan State's Mel Tucker dropped to No. 10 after the Spartans' woeful 5-7 finish following a Peach Bowl victory in 2021. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano fell out of the top 10 after finishing 4-8 overall and 1-8 in conference play. Ryan Walters, who replaced Jeff Brohm at Purdue, rounded out as the only first-year coach at No. 14. 

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