As the clock winded down in Ohio State’s third-straight defeat to arch-rival Michigan, Buckeye nation’s disappointment would soon be poured out onto Head Coach Ryan Day. 

   With the loss, Ohio State fell out of playoff contention. Additionally, it made Day’s record against the Wolverines 1-3.

   The loss ignited Buckeye fans, with many attacking, and some defending, Day’s position as head coach. 

   “Day needs to figure things out, but I want to keep him. You could easily turn into Texas, Miami, or USC. The grass is not always greener,” Mr. Ohio said on X, formerly Twitter. 

   However, other fans were not so optimistic.

   “If you’re still defending Ryan Day’s tenure at Ohio State, that’s totally fine. You just value wins over Northwestern and Maryland more than you do the rivalry vs. Michigan,” Ben Axelrod said on X. 

   Critics of Day said he should be fired precisely because he doesn’t win the big games. For the most part, this is, at face value, true. 

   Since Day arrived, Ohio State has won one playoff game, while losing three. On top of this, Day has lost the biggest game of the year three times in a row. For some fans, this needs to be better. 

   Supporters of Day will point to his record, which is 56-7 according to ESPN. However, his critics are quick to point out that the games Day loses are the ones that matter. 

   A headline from the Ohio State community, Land Grant Holy-Land, said, “Ryan Day’s record is 56-7, but over the past three seasons, he’s really 0-9 in what matters.” 

   However, supporters of Day are willing to accept the fact Day has lost in the big games, but not that all of the blame lies directly on him. 

   Take, for example, two of Day’s playoff losses. In 2019, the Buckeyes fell short to Clemson 29-23, and in 2022 lost 42-41 to Georgia, after Noah Ruggles missed a game-winning field goal in the dying seconds. 

   Buckeye fans will be quick to remember the controversial call in the third quarter of the Clemson game where Ohio State cornerback Jeff Odukah stripped the ball after a completed pass to Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross and returned it to the endzone for a touchdown, or at least that’s what the officials ruled on the field.

   According to CBS Sports, after review, the officials ruled it an incomplete pass, which caused an uproar from fans. 

   Now, no one knows that Ohio State still would have won that game, but a controversial call and a missed field goal hardly seem to put Day at fault. 

   On top of this, Ohio State lost to Michigan this year off a last-drive interception, which, again, hardly seems to be Day’s fault. 

   However, many critics say Day hasn’t stepped up in the big games enough. 

   “The job description of being the Ohio State football coach is to beat Michigan. Ryan Day’s legacy is losing 3 straight to them,” Sir Yacht said on X. 

  For many, two blow-out losses to Michigan in consecutive years (2021, 2022) are hard to overcome. However, Day has also had successes in his tenure as head coach. 

  For example, Day’s squad has beaten both Notre Dame and Penn State in the past two years. The Buckeyes have also come out with a Rose Bowl win against Utah and a playoff win against Clemson under Day, according to ESPN. 

   Overall, both critics and supporters of Day will continue to make arguments on what Ohio State should do about the head coaching position. 

   However, perhaps the most balanced take came from X user Brian Manzullo.

   “One thing I don’t see discussed enough in the Ryan Day discourse: While Urban Meyer did go 7-0 against Michigan, Day has faced far tougher Michigan teams than Urban ever did, except maybe 2016 when OSU won by a yard in 2OT. I get the frustration. But Day shouldn’t be fired yet,” Manzullo said.