Ohio State could drop Ryan Day with Michigan, CFP loss: Paul Finebaum

Riding three straight losses to Michigan, another L in The Game and an early College Football Playoff exit could spell the end for Ohio State football coach Ryan Day, according to Paul Finebaum.

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day is skating on thin ice that could give way against Michigan, Paul Finebaum has suggested. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite his otherwise-sterling record as Ohio State football coach, Ryan Day has dropped three straight games against arch-rival Michigan, and a fourth loss in this series combined with a subpar showing in the new College Football Playoff could force a change at the top.

That's according to analyst and commentator Paul Finebaum, who speculates that Ohio State might feel compelled to make a change in a crucial 2024 season marked by conference realignment and the expanded playoff.

"His biggest hurdle is Michigan. And that's only because that game has been valued so highly because of three straight losses," Finebaum said on WJOX.

"If he beats Michigan and has a good run in the playoffs, maybe not a championship, I think most people move on. But if he loses to Michigan and then suffers an early loss in the playoffs, I wouldn't be surprise if he got fired, in spite of his record."

That decision might seem rash given Ohio State's success under Day's leadership, including a 56-8 total record with a 39-3 mark against Big Ten opposition.

Day has led the Buckeyes to three College Football Playoff appearances, his team was a finalist in the 2020 season, and came one point away from beating Georgia in the 2022-23 postseason.

But if you ask any Ohio State fan, it's how the team fares against Michigan that makes a season a genuine success, or whether it's regarded as somehow tainted.

And in the last three years, Ohio State has surrendered 117 total points to Michigan, losing those games by more than two touchdowns on average.

Day was aggressive this offseason in retaining and re-fashioning his roster, keeping several notable players on both sides of the ball, including on the Buckeyes' second-ranked scoring defense.

Transfer acquisitions like quarterback Will Howard, ex-Alabama safety Caleb Downs, and one-time SEC rushing champ Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss are high-profile gains for the program.

Those pieces have Ohio State as the second-favorite at most sports books to win the national championship, making the 2024 season one of the utmost importance for Day to put the team back in contention.

(WJOX)

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