Analyst: Ohio State Buckeyes' Ryan Day Still Facing Pressure

A notable college football analyst still thinks Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is facing pressure.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day celebrates on the podium after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Coming into the College Football Playoff, there were still a lot of Ohio State Buckeyes fans who wanted to see head coach Ryan Day get fired. Those calls for his job have quieted down quite a bit after Ohio State dominated both Tennessee and Oregon over the last two games.

Now, Day is set to lead his Buckeyes into the Cotton Bowl against the Texas Longhorns.

Whoever ends up winning Friday night's game will head on to the national championship. On the other side of the bracket, Notre Dame and Penn State are left and one of them will meet the winner of the Cotton Bowl to play for all the marbles.

Despite the calls for Day's job quieting down a lot, one notable college football analyst still thinks that the Ohio State head coach is facing pressure.

Paul Finebaum, who has constantly come up with critical takes about the Buckeyes, offered his opinion on the situation heading into the Cotton Bowl.

When breaking down the two head coaches in the upcoming matchup and how much pressure they're facing, Finebaum clearly believes that Day is more at risk than Steve Sarkisian.

“I still think Ryan Day has some pressure,” Finebaum said. "Now, I agree with Heather completely. I don’t think the weight of the world is on his shoulders anymore, but he has the best team. He has the most talented team. A lot of people have already given him the trophy so I do think there is pressure there. Sark is also a very successful coach and a loss here really wouldn't hurt him, but it would hurt the SEC."

Which head coach has more at stake in the CFP: Ohio State's Ryan Day or Texas' Steve Sarkisian? 🤔@CFBHeather and @finebaum weigh in ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5vJagsSTi5

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 8, 2025

Finebaum actually does make a good point. Ohio State is very widely viewed as the top team left in the playoff. Losing to Texas would be a tough blow.

However, Day is no longer on the hot seat when it comes to his job. The Buckeyes had already thrown support behind him before the College Football Playoff began. Now that they have played the way they have against two top-tier contenders, he is almost a lock to be back on the sideline in 2025.

Truthfully, every coach and team is under pressure in these games. All four of the schools remain expect to win. They all expect to compete for a championship.

Hopefully, Day and Ohio State can come out strong and play the way they have over the last two outings. If they do that, they should be able to pick up a win.

Day has done an excellent job game-planning and having his players ready to play. No one should expect anything different in the Cotton Bowl against the Longhorns.