sports
Oregon beats Ohio State 41-28, and Ryan Day's seat gets hotter
Ohio State fell to 6-3 after a 41-28 loss to Oregon at the Horseshoe. It is the Buckeyes' first three-loss season since 2011 and back-to-back double-digit losses for the first time in 22 years.
Oregon beat Ohio State 41-28 at the Horseshoe on Saturday, dropping the Buckeyes to 6-3 and putting head coach Ryan Day’s future in question, ESPN reported.
Ohio State is 6-3 for the first time since 2011. The Buckeyes have lost back-to-back games by double digits for the first time in 22 years. True freshman Luke Fahey started at quarterback in place of the injured Julian Sayin.
Day told reporters he was “beyond disappointed” with the result. Yahoo Sports went further, arguing that Day should consider resigning if he cannot turn the season around in the final two games.
AP News noted that Oregon improved to 9-1 with the win and remains in contention for a College Football Playoff berth.
What the coverage missed
Ohio State started a true freshman at quarterback because Sayin was hurt. That is a major factor in a 13-point loss. The coverage mentioned the injury but did not explore how much it limited the offense. Fahey is not ready to start in the Big Ten.
The 2025 Buckeyes were supposed to rebuild, not contend. They lost their starting quarterback, their best running back, and several key defenders to the NFL draft. Day is coaching a younger roster than people realize. The 6-3 record is disappointing but not shocking given the personnel losses.
The Yahoo Sports piece calling for Day to resign is worth examining. Day is 62-8 in his time at Ohio State. He has won two Big Ten titles. Firing a coach with that record after one bad season is how programs end up in cycles of mediocrity. But Ohio State fans do not think that way, and the athletic director has to listen to them.
What I think
Day is not the problem. The problem is that Ohio State built its roster for 2024, not 2026. The Buckeyes went all-in on last year’s team, and the bill came due this fall. Sayin’s injury made a difficult season worse.
But Day does need to win one of the last two games. Ohio State plays Michigan and Penn State to close the year. Losing both would make it 6-5 and put Day’s job in real danger. The Michigan game is at home. If he loses that one, the noise will be too loud to ignore.