Ryan Day won the national title last year. It’s time to fire him though.

Ohio State Football he didn’t just lose in College Football Playoff. They were hard to plant. In doing so, it reignited a debate that the national championship had briefly silenced but never really resolved. yes, Ryan Day won it all last season. Yes, the Buckeyes entered the year 12-0 and positioned themselves for a repeat. However, none of that may matter now.

What happened in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Miami was an indictment. About preparation, adaptability in the game and leadership at the top. When the brightest lights in sports reveal the same flaws over and over again, even a ring doesn’t guarantee safety.

Panic and paralysis

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff trip has come to a disappointing end 24-14 loss to the Miami Hurricanes on New Year’s Eve. Ohio State just never looked comfortable in this game. Miami jumped out to a 14–0 lead in the second quarter, highlighted by a devastating 72-yard interception return touchdown. That set the tone for the night.

Ohio State’s offense, after a first-round bye, looked rusty and unprepared. The Buckeyes managed just nine yards in the first quarter. They consistently failed to match Miami’s aggressive defensive front. Quarterback Julian Saiin was under siege all night. He was fired five times. He also made rushing throws as Ohio State struggled to establish any sort of rhythm.

It is to their credit that the Buckeyes rallied in the second half. Saiin found wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. That cut the deficit to 17-14. The momentum shifted briefly and then disappeared. On Ohio State’s next possession, a holding penalty derailed, leading to a punt. Miami responded with a clock-draining touchdown march that slammed the door.

The loss was Ohio State’s second in a row after a perfect regular season. That ended their bid to repeat as national champions. The loss also continued a disturbing trend of teams losing their first games in the first round losing their first CFP games in the expanded playoff era.

Here we take a look and discuss why it’s time to fire Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day after the CFP disaster against Miami.

The beginning and the end

After the game, Ryan Day stood on the podium and owned it.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t do it, and that starts with me,” Day said. “I take responsibility for not preparing the guys.”

That recognition is important. However, accountability without consequences is just rhetoric.

Since taking over as Ohio State’s full-time head coach in 2019, Day has gone 79-12. Sure, he won last season’s national championship and made five CFP appearances. He’s also posted double-digit wins every year outside of the shortened 2020 season. By almost every metric, that record screams success.

Ohio State, on the other hand, is an “almost no program.”

This is a school that doesn’t judge coaches by win totals, but by dominance. This is especially true on the biggest stages. Despite the 2024 title, Day’s teams have repeatedly looked stodgy, conservative and disjointed in playoff games when things aren’t going as planned.

Unfortunately, the Cotton Bowl Classic was a resurgent pattern.

Chip Kelly’s absence

Last year’s national championship came with a big asterisk yes Ohio State fans are becoming increasingly unwilling to ignore: Chip Kelly. As the offensive coordinator and play caller, Kelly unlocked a version of Buckeye’s offense that had been missing under Day’s direct control. Pace, creativity, counters and aggressiveness are back. Ohio State has overwhelmed even elite opponents.

That offense is gone. As well as the edge.

Against Miami, Ohio State’s offense was predictable and passive. There were no early rhythm throws, no counter pressures, no schematic answers when Miami started to send the heat. The Saiin was left to fend for himself behind precarious protection. Meanwhile, Day stubbornly clung to a plan that had failed.

This is the bottom line: Ryan Day, the head coach, and Ryan Day, the play-caller, can no longer co-exist at Ohio State.

The evidence is overwhelming. When someone else calls the offense, Ohio State reaches championship levels. When Day takes control, the Buckeyes shrink in big moments.

Fear, not talent

Ohio State had better players than Miami. A deeper talent. More NFL futures. That wasn’t a problem.

The question was hesitation.

Miami played fast, aggressive and free. Ohio State played hard, reactive and afraid of mistakes. The Hurricanes attacked protections, jumped routes and dictated conditions. The Buckeyes waited and paid for it.

Even an interception return touchdown it felt inevitable. The Saiin stared at the receiver. The concept of the route was slow to develop. Miami was ready. It is training and preparation. It’s anticipation.

Ohio State once again looked like a team hoping not to lose instead of a team determined to win.

The title does not change the verdict

Firing a coach a year after a national championship sounds absurd, until you consider the context.

Ohio State didn’t win because of Dan last year. The Buckeyes won because Day finally retired. This season, he stepped up again, regained control, and the program regressed under the pressure.

Elite programs don’t wait for the cracks to widen. They act before complacency becomes a culture. Alabama moved on from coaches who “only” won 10 games. Georgia recalibrated after the near miss. Ohio State must decide if it wants to chase trophies or hang on to legacy.

Dan is a very good coach. However, he may no longer be the right coach for Ohio State moving forward.

The worst possible ending

For all the brilliance of a 12-0 regular season, this was the most horrible way to end it. Flat. Passively. Predictably.

Ohio State didn’t lose because Miami was undefeated. The Buckeyes lost because they never adjusted. Unfortunately, their head coach failed to rise to the moment.

A championship banner hangs in Columbus, but banners don’t fix broken patterns.

And after Miami, the pattern is undeniable.