The Ohio State Buckeyes fell to the Michigan Wolverines 13-10 on Thanksgiving, marking their fourth consecutive loss to their rivals and sparking widespread speculation about head coach Ryan Day’s future with the team. Despite finishing the regular season with a 10-2 record, many believed the Buckeyes’ chances of making the playoffs were over following the defeat.
After deciding to regroup and chase a national title, the Buckeyes silenced the critics—and so did Ryan Day. Questions about his job security quickly faded as he led Ohio State to the top. Now, heading into the 2025 college football season, that pressure is off his shoulders. Despite heavy losses to the NFL, the Buckeyes return with a strong core of talent, thanks in large part to Day’s impressive recruiting efforts in Columbus. With all that in mind, where does Ryan Day rank among the top college football head coaches today?
ESPN Ranks Ohio State’s Ryan Day as the Second-Best Head Coach in College Football
ESPN recently published an article ranking the top 10 college football coaches in the sport. Unsurprisingly, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart was named number one. However, there was some debate over who deserved the second spot in the college football coaching ranks.
According to ESPN,
“The results showed a clear No. 1 in Georgia’s Kirby Smart, with a noticeable gap between him and the second- and third-place finishers, who appeared on every voter’s top 10 list. The next three coaches were closely grouped, drawing varied opinions from our voters, after which the rankings became more open-ended.
Below is our top 10, including each coach’s career record, the points they received in our survey, a statistical highlight from ESPN Research, and comments from some voters. We also asked voters which coach they were surprised didn’t make the top 10 and why one voter’s top picks differed so much from the others.”
The rankings were determined by votes from various college football reporters. Ryan Day, Ohio State’s head coach, secured the second spot behind Kirby Smart. Most voters placed Day high on their lists, though three ranked him as low as fourth—the lowest placement he received. When asked about the lower ranking, one anonymous voter explained,
“There are a couple of reasons I didn’t rank Day higher. First, his poor record against Michigan, the biggest game each year, weighs heavily. He’s 1-4 against the Wolverines and lost last season despite being heavy favorites. The backlash from fans only eased after Ohio State won the national championship. My second point is that while the national title is impressive, under any other playoff system, that Michigan loss would have ended Ohio State’s season. They only got a second chance due to the expanded 12-team playoff format. For those reasons, I ranked Day at No. 4. — Andrea Adelson”
Day’s record at Ohio State stands at 70-10, earning him 97 points in this poll. Some additional notable stats include:
“Among FBS head coaches with at least 50 games coached, Day’s .875 winning percentage ranks third all-time and is the best in the AP poll era (since 1936).”
Looking ahead to the 2025 college football season, Ohio State is expected to win many games again. However, questions remain—most notably, can Day finally beat Michigan in 2025? Four of his 10 career losses have come against the Wolverines. Another question is who will be Ohio State’s starting quarterback next season. There’s plenty for Buckeye fans to be excited about, and this year, the calls for Day’s firing will likely fade away for good.
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