Ryan Day’s Rise Shows How Strong Ohio State Has Become

Ohio State fans have seen a lot of big wins, but Ryan Day’s latest moment feels different. After finally beating Michigan for the first time in four years, Day has gone from a coach under pressure to one of the biggest names in college football. But even with all this success, it’s clear that Urban Meyer helped build the foundation he now stands on.

The topic picked up steam during David Pollack’s See Ball, Get Ball podcast when a fan, Emaze Johnson, sent in a bold message: “Ryan Day era is upon us in college football.”

Ryan Day’s record is incredible in today’s game. With 82 wins and only 10 losses, he holds an 89.1% winning percentage. If he had coached long enough to meet the NCAA’s 10-year requirement, he would actually be No. 1 all-time. You don’t see that level of success very often.

Of course, part of Ryan Day’s strong start came from the program Urban Meyer built. Meyer went 83-9 at Ohio State, won a national championship in 2014, and brought home three Big Ten titles. He also rebuilt the Buckeyes after a down year and created a culture focused on tough players, great recruiting, and top-level coaching.

But even with that strong base, not every coach could keep the machine running. Many would collapse under the heavy pressure that comes with the Ohio State job. Day didn’t. In fact, he made the program even stronger. In his first season, he became the first Ohio State coach in 40 years to win Big Ten Coach of the Year. Since then, he has led the Buckeyes to four College Football Playoff trips.

Now, another huge test is coming. Ohio State meets Indiana in the Big Ten Championship on Saturday, a game loaded with playoff meaning and Heisman hype. Quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will likely decide who leads the Heisman race when the game is over.

Ohio State is a 5.5-point favorite, but Indiana is known for playing tough. The winner is expected to earn the No. 1 playoff seed, while the loser should still land at No. 2 or No. 3. So the pressure is more about getting the best spot, not about missing the playoffs.

If Ryan Day and the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers, the path to the national title looks very promising. Ohio State has the best scoring defense in the country, a quarterback in the Heisman mix, and one of the strongest wide receiver groups in the sport.

With that kind of firepower, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Ohio State makes another championship run — and if Ryan Day continues to build one of the most impressive coaching runs in college football today.

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