Why Ohio State’s loss to Miami could open the door for Ryan Day’s NFL dreams
Written by admin on January 3, 2026
Ryan Day didn’t know it at the time, but it probably won’t ever get better than that.
As the confetti drifted down inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Ohio State Buckeyes’ head coach lifted the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy last January, his worries vanished. For a moment, he stood at ease. But calm never lasts in Columbus.
A year after winning the College Football Playoff, could Ryan Day leave Ohio State?
Not a full calendar year removed from the summit, Day is in a familiar situation. More often than not, his seasons in Columbus are going to end this way. After his program’s title defense ended early at the hands of Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes, Day should save himself the added stress.
Maybe it’s time he looks toward the NFL horizon.
The pressure that comes with guiding the Buckeyes is arguably greater than most NFL coaches deal with. Day has proven himself where he is, but it might never be enough for Ohio State’s demanding fanbase.
Not long after Day reached his sport’s mountaintop, he expressed contentment in his current spot.
“I was in the NFL for two years and had a great experience there and it’s a great league,” Day said last January. “But right now, the impact we can make on young people is, to me, more impactful in college. That’s why I got into this game is to do that, and that’s what I want to do.”
Does that change, though, as the heat ramps back up? Buckeyes faithful will always want more. And more. And more.
Ohio State won’t fire Ryan Day, but Buckeyes fans are ruthless
The magical national title run extinguished the flames, but Day and his family learned what the angry mob is capable of when they received threats after Ohio State lost to Michigan for a fourth straight time last season. Things would be much, much nastier for Day right now if he hadn’t finally stopped the Buckeyes’ series skid against the hated Wolverines. That’s the sort of thing that sticks with you.
Not to mention, this is just the latest instance in which Day’s Ohio State teams fell short. More shortcomings won’t be met with grace. No one would blame him if he chose not to absorb the brunt of the uproar again. It’s not as if Day denied having any future ambitions.
“I would never wanna say, ‘I would never consider it,’ because you don’t know how things can change,” Day said.
Where would Ryan Day land in the NFL?
Day is familiar with the NFC East. He spent one season as the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coach under Chip Kelly in 2015. The New York Giants have a head coaching vacancy and, in Jaxson Dart, a young passer they hope can be molded into a difference-maker. The Giants are one of the most storied franchises in the league.
If they call Day, he’d be wise to at least hear them out. The noise isn’t going anywhere in Columbus, as is the case with any true blue blood fanbase. Any season the Buckeyes don’t win the Playoff, the fans will find a way to blame Day. It should come as no surprise that they pointed to his play-calling as the primary reason OSU stumbled down the stretch and fell to Miami this week.
In New York, Day would have time to implement his culture with a young quarterback who’s already proven what he can be on the field. Yes, Dart has flaws – such as avoiding contact and getting down when he chooses to run the football – but finding a franchise QB is often the hardest task for any new head coach. The Giants seem to think they already have that.
With the lack of proven head coaches in this market, Day would instantly become one of the more intriguing fits.
