Tag: Ryan Day

Takeaways after Ohio State head coach Ryan Day speaks with media on signing day

The Buckeye boss had plenty to say during his hour long media session. #GoBucks

For as much as we miss the drama on the first Wednesday of February for the traditional national signing day in college football, coaches like Ohio State head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] look much more relieved to speak with the media.

The Buckeye boss went to the podium for over an hour, and he spoke on many different subjects, not just his one signee of the day, defensive end, Dominic Kirks.

There were many great questions about what is going on with the Ohio State football program that Day answered, some of them giving great insight on what to expect during the 2024 season and beyond. Find out below my biggest takeaways from what the Ohio State head coach said during his media session.

Ryan Day could be on the hot seat heading into 2024

Ryan Day on the hot seat? Another Big Ten coach on retirement watch in 2024?

ESPN recently cited some college football head coaches who could be on the hot seat heading into the 2024 season (subscription required), which included a couple of current Big Ten coaches.

Senior college football writer Adam Rittenberg, who included Ohio State head coach Ryan Day as one coach who could see his job security become compromised if he isn’t able to answer some major big game question marks that have plagued him over the last couple of years.

Here is what Rittenberg had to say about Coach Day:

I’m not going to put a coach with a 56-8 overall record squarely on the hot seat. But after three straight losses to Michigan, no national championships, a new athletic director taking over (Ross Bjork) and Ohio State’s all-in approach with personnel this winter, Day faces genuine pressure to win big in 2024. The scenarios are801 fascinating: What if he beats Michigan but loses early in the CFP? What if he loses to Michigan and makes a deep CFP run? A fourth straight loss to the Wolverines – especially against a likely weakened Michigan team, and once again at Ohio Stadium – would be difficult for Day to overcome, despite all of the clear accomplishments he has had with the Buckeyes.

So obviously, this Ryan Day situation is more of a cautionary tale depending on how the 2024 season unfolds. There isn’t anything to worry about right now, but a lot to monitor moving forward.

Rittenberg also discussed a couple of college coaches who may be on retirement watch shortly. One that was included was longtime Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.

Here is what Rittenberg had to say about Coach Ferentz and his future with the program:

Ferentz, entering his 26th season with Iowa, is college football’s longest-tenured coach by six seasons, and will turn 69 on Aug. 1. He’s in good health and likely can coach as long as he wants at Iowa, which in early 2022 extended his contract through the 2029 season. Iowa has been a steady winner but faces a tougher path to continued success in the expanded Big Ten. Ferentz went through an emotionally taxing 2023 season in which his son, Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, was fired. “Every job has got things that cause frustration, so this is kind of the way it is,” Kirk Ferentz told ESPN in November. “And it’s for you to determine where that line is and make the determination from there. I feel great. I love what I do. And more importantly, I love the people I’m around.”

A lot of this potential movement could gain momentum, or fizzle depending on this upcoming 2024 season. The early look suggests that impending movement in the Big Ten conference could be imminent.

Ohio State’s new offensive coordinator for 2024 is a strange choice

Ryan Day hiring Bill O’Brien is an interesting choice, to say the least.

Buckeyes Wire shared on Friday that Ohio State has officially hired a new offensive coordinator for 2024.

“OSU announced the hiring of O’Brien as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in a statement just a day after ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the story. The announcement came from Ryan Day through an Ohio State spokesman.

“I am extremely pleased to be able to add Bill O’Brien to our coaching staff,” Day said in the statement. “He brings with him a wealth of knowledge – and a tremendous amount of success – at both the NFL and collegiate levels. He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout his career. He’ll be an excellent teacher and recruiter for us, and he absolutely strengthens our staff.”

Ryan Day, the head coach of Ohio State, and Bill O’Brien will have to replace a key player from their last two seasons, Marvin Harrison Jr. They have two elite receivers returning: redshirt junior Emeka Egbuka and sophomore Carnell Tate. Additionally, they received great news last week when redshirt junior TreVeyon Henderson announced he would be staying for the 2024 season. The Buckeyes also received a commitment from Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins from the transfer portal. The Buckeyes will continue to be active in the transfer portal, so O’Brien’s roster should be filled with offensive talent.

USC is unlikely to face Ohio State this year unless the two teams meet at some point in the postseason. There are two possibilities for this, either the Big Ten Championship Game or in the College Football Playoff, which will expand to 12 teams this year.

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Ohio State transfer portal scouting report: Will Howard

Ohio State transfer portal scouting report: Will Howard #GoBucks

The Ohio State football season is over, but the offseason has just begun and the Buckeyes are putting in work in the transfer portal. The first transfer portal addition came from the Mid-American Conference with the addition of Will Kacmarek from the Ohio Bobcats. We dove into what to expect from him earlier this month.

After snagging a proficient blocking tight end, the Buckeyes weren’t done attacking the offensive side of the football and it was not shocking to see Ryan Day finding his quarterback. We expected Ohio State to add another gunslinger after the departure of Kyle McCord, but the question was always who would it be?

The Buckeyes received a commitment from Will Howard who has spent the last two seasons starting for the Kansas State Wildcats and will have just one year of eligibility remaining. He chose Ohio State over Miami and USC, and the All-Big 12 quarterback will have a unique opportunity to elevate the Buckeye offense in 2024.

Name: Will Howard

Former School: Kansas State Wildcats

Height: 6-feet, 5-inches

Weight: 242 pounds

Position: Qaurterback

Strengths

Not many quarterbacks have shown the type of improvement that Howard has shown since he arrived on the scene in 2022. He was the definitive leader of the Wildcat offense and had clearly gained the trust of his coach, which are traits that were missing from the Buckeyes’ offense this past season.

Howard has put together two seasons of high level play, and has the ideal size to put an offense on his back when needed. This past season, Howard passed for 2,643 yards and an impressive 24 touchdowns. He is the type of player that can keep a team in the game by himself.

Weaknesses

I still don’t understand how Will Howard lost the starting gig to Adrian Martinez to start the 2022 season. This may not be a “weakness” and is a tad unfair to still bring up two years later, but Martinez was largely a liability throughout his college career, so knowing at one point he beat out Howard sends chills down my spine. However, Martinez was quite the player for the Wildcats, so there’s that.

Expectations

Here is the deal, Will Howard isn’t going to blow the doors off physically. I think that the difference between him and Kyle McCord physically is very slim, but physical traits were never the issue with McCord, but mentally the gap is huge. Ryan Day didn’t choose Will Howard because of his size and arm, but because he has shown his ability to be calm, cool, and collected in times of crisis. Howard can put the team on his back and elevate the players around him. He is a guy who will make few mistakes and will save his highlight reel potential for when the Buckeyes need it most. Ryan Day needs someone he can trust for such a vital season and Howard is arguably the most intelligent player in the country.

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Ryan Day’s runaway success in player acquisition underscores USC’s NIL problem

Ryan Day had a bad 2023 at Ohio State, but it doesn’t matter. He’s cleaning up in 2024. Why can’t USC be more like this?

The Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day had a frustrating 2023 season. They lost again to Michigan. Then they lost their bowl game to Missouri. Their offense didn’t look good. Quarterback Kyle McCord not only transferred; he transferred to Syracuse, an indication that Ryan Day missed the mark at quarterback this past year.

Keep in mind, too, that Ohio State and Ryan Day look even worse in light of how well C.J. Stroud has played in the NFL with the Houston Texans. Day and Ohio State lost twice to Michigan with Stroud as their quarterback. All of this should give recruits and transfer portal prospects good reason to not go to Ohio State. Yet, Ryan Day is winning competitions for the best talent in the country.

As Buckeyes Wire notes, Day just landed elite Alabama portal prospect Caleb Downs:

“The offseason has been fantastic for Ohio State football fans thus far and it just got even better as it was recently reported that former Alabama safety Caleb Downs is committing to Ohio State.

“The news broke on Friday evening and was first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Buckeye fans all across social media have already expressed their excitement with the announcement and rightfully so as Downs is a massive addition for the Buckeyes.”

Recruits surely aren’t saying to themselves, “Wow, I just have to play for Ryan Day; it’s my dream come true.” No, let’s be honest: Ohio State is almost surely bringing the bag for these prospects with a robust NIL operation.

USC is getting left behind. It’s another sign of how the Trojans aren’t yet in prime position to compete for these top players. It’s a problem which has to get fixed, and soon.

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LOOK: Social media reacts to Caleb Downs transferring to Ohio State

Alabama’s sensational young DB Caleb Downs is transferring to Ohio State. Fans are trolling Georgia and criticizing Ohio State’s head coach.

Caleb Downs was sensational in his first season of college football. The true freshman led the Crimson Tide in tackles and seemed poised to be a leader and all-time star in Tuscaloosa. However, he is now on his way to Ohio State, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The Buckeyes land Downs via the transfer portal, which opened up for the rising sophomore after Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired. His retirement is likely the reason why Downs wanted to leave Tuscaloosa in the first place.

Many believed that Downs would follow Travaris Robinson to Georgia. Robinson served as Alabama’s cornerback coach for the last two seasons. He recently accepted the job as the Bulldogs’ co-defensive coordinator.

Fans were quick to take to social media and share their thoughts on what his transfer means for Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia.

Report: Ohio State has found its next offensive coordinator

How do you feel about this? #GoBucks

It has been one of the worst kept secrets in college football, Ohio State was looking to add an offensive coordinator to its coaching staff.

Head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] has spoken on the subject, but nothing had come to fruition until Thursday evening. ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting that the Buckeyes will hire [autotag]Bill O’Brien[/autotag] away from the New England Patriots for the position.

The play-calling and coaching experience is abundant with O’Brien, as he’s coached multiple big time quarterbacks like Bryce Young, Tom Brady, and Deshaun Watson. Aside from calling plays for the Pats, his resume also includes stops at Alabama as their offensive coordinator and head coaching stops with Penn State and the Houston Texans.

Thamel also reports that O’Brien will most likely call plays, taking away from a duty Day has done since becoming the head coach. On first impression, it’s a great hire considering the top level quarterbacks he’s coached in the past. Also, having worked with Bill Belichick and Nick Saban is a big time feather in his cap.

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Ohio State reportedly hiring Bill O’Brien as its next offensive coordinator stumped college fans

You can bet college football fans had thoughts about this reported hire.

One of the big remaining college football jobs has reportedly been filled by a major name.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Thursday night that Ohio State football has hired former Penn State coach and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to be its next offensive coordinator.

As the Buckeyes figure out a plan to try and meaningfully contend for a national title with Ryan Day at the helm, hiring a veteran coach like O’Brien is the kind of major move that signals a seriousness to make those results better sooner than later.

Well, if you think O’Brien is the right guy for the job, that is.

While he found success in various stops, O’Brien has become one of the more polarizing figures in football and is coming off a dreadful year in New England leading the Patriots offense.

While O’Brien has found positive results at the college level, fans were very skeptical this move would do much to help the Buckeyes separate themselves from the pack (and the Michigan Wolverines).

Ohio State’s Ryan Day speaks on the Buckeyes’ new athletic director, Ross Bjork

Day seemed very pleased with the hiring of Bjork. #GoBucks

After a very successful Ohio State career, the shoes of Gene Smith were big ones to fill.

The job went to former Texas A&M Athletic Director, Ross Bjork, who was formally introduced in a press conference on Wednesday. One of the attendees, Ohio State football head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag], was listening intently about how the program will be handled now that Smith has gone.

After the introduction, Day was caught by some media members and answered a few questions regarding Bjork. With a big smile, the Buckeye football leader believes that the new AD share the same vision for the program, and looks forward to getting to know him better in the coming months.

Another interesting topic that Day touched on was the search for a new offensive coordinator. He mentioned that they are looking at everything and will update Buckeye Nation as soon as he can.

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Ohio State’s rival quarterback, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy makes NFL decision

Is this what you expected? #GoBucks

It will alway be remembered that Ohio State football head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] chose [autotag]Kyle McCord[/autotag] over [autotag]JJ McCarthy[/autotag], for obvious reasons.

McCarthy ultimately chose to attend rival Michigan, and took it personal when he played the school that passed him up during his recruitment. He was on the sidelines for three victories over the Buckeyes, and this past season led the Wolverines to a College Football Playoff national championship.

A big decision loomed in front of him, as he still had one year of eligibility remaining, but has chosen to forgo that season and enter the NFL draft. Many Buckeyes would liked to have one more shot at knocking McCarthy down, but that will now have to be at the next level.

Although he isn’t viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects in this coming draft, he will still be selected after a very impressive collegiate career.

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