Ryan Day won a national title last year at Ohio State. It’s time to fire him anyway after CFP disaster vs. Miami

Ohio State football didn’t just lose in the College Football Playoff. They face-planted hard. In doing so, it reignited a debate that a national championship briefly silenced but never truly resolved. Yes, Ryan Day won it all last season. Yes, the Buckeyes entered this year 12-0 and positioned for a repeat. None of that may matter now, though.

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

Panic and paralysis

The Ohio State Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff journey came to a disappointing end with a 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, punctuated by a devastating 72-yard interception return touchdown. It set the tone for the night.

Ohio State’s offense, coming off a first-round bye, looked rusty and unprepared. The Buckeyes managed just nine yards in the first quarter. They consistently failed to counter Miami’s aggressive defensive front. Quarterback Julian Sayin was under siege all night. He got sacked five times. He also made hurried throws as Ohio State struggled to establish any rhythm.

To their credit, the Buckeyes rallied in the second half. Sayin found star receiver Jeremiah Smith for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. That cut the deficit to 17–14. Momentum briefly shifted and then vanished. On Ohio State’s next possession, a holding penalty derailed the drive, leading to a punt. Miami responded with a clock-draining touchdown march that slammed the door shut.

The loss was Ohio State’s second straight after a perfect regular season. It ended their bid to repeat as national champions. The defeat also continued the troubling trend of teams with first-round byes losing their opening CFP games in the expanded playoff era.

Here we will look at and discuss why it’s time to fire Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day after CFP disaster vs. Miami.

Start and end

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

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

That admission matters. However, accountability without consequence is just rhetoric.

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

On the flip side, Ohio State isn’t “almost any program.”

This is a school that judges coaches not by win totals, but by dominance. That’s especially true on the biggest stages. Despite the 2024 title, Day’s teams have repeatedly looked tight, conservative, and disjointed in playoff games when things don’t go according to script.

Sadly, the Cotton Bowl Classic was a pattern resurfacing.

The Chip Kelly absence

Last year’s national championship came with a massive asterisk that Ohio State fans are increasingly unwilling to ignore: Chip Kelly. As offensive coordinator and play-caller, Kelly unlocked a version of the Buckeyes offense that had been missing under Day’s direct control. Tempo, creativity, counters, and aggression returned. Ohio State overwhelmed even elite opponents.

That offense is gone. So is the edge.

Against Miami, Ohio State’s attack was predictable and passive. There were no early rhythm throws, no counters to pressure, no schematic answers once Miami started sending heat. Sayin was left to fend for himself behind shaky protection. Meanwhile, Day stuck stubbornly to a plan that wasn’t working.

This is the core issue: Ryan Day the head coach and Ryan Day the play-caller cannot coexist at Ohio State anymore.

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. Deeper talent. More NFL futures. That wasn’t the issue.

The issue was hesitation.

Miami played fast, aggressive, and free. Ohio State played tight, reactive, and scared of mistakes. The Hurricanes attacked protections, jumped routes, and dictated terms. The Buckeyes waited, and they paid for it.

Even the interception return touchdown felt inevitable. Sayin stared down his receiver. The route concept was slow-developing. Miami was ready. That’s coaching and preparation. That’s anticipation.

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

A title doesn’t change the verdict

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

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

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

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

Worst possible ending

For all the brilliance of a 12–0 regular season, this was the most damning way it could end. Flat. Passive. Predictable.

Ohio State didn’t lose because Miami was unbeatable. The Buckeyes lost because they never really 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.

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