HC Ryan Day (B1G Coach of Year, B1G Champion, National Champion)

[DaddyBigBucks]

McCuin is a stone cold ankle breaker. Like, completely uncoverable. The OL and QB play have been so bad this year, it’s tough to put into words.

Before Julian went down, the qb play was not bad, it was inconsistent. Julian’s overall play still ranks as #2 in the country in pass efficiency. Rattled Julian was still less than what you need for an NC.

Indiana was the only full game where Julian had an overall poor performance. Against Texas, he put up the highest passing efficiency of anyone who has faced the longhorns all year. That’s not meaningless. But it is consistent with what we saw with our eyes. Rattled Julian was regressing as the year went on.

Even so… lots of teams would like to have a qb who is #2 in the country in pass efficiency. They would call that a good year. At Ohio State however, you need a qb more like will howard to have what you call a good year

 

[scarletngray]

Facts

Over the past few days several people have posted that the Buckeye D has been terrible, or words to that effect. I didn’t disagree with any of them.

What we call terrible:

Pass Efficiency Defense #5
Total defense #11
Scoring defense #13
Rushing defense #15

Horrifically inconsistent? Unquestionably
Too heavily dependent on a freshman? No doubt

Even so, you’re 100% right that a lot of fan bases would kill for a defense like this one

After every loss (which thankfully are few) there is a contingent of "fans" who act like the world is coming to an end. I really don't know how they function in the real world.
Things rarely are as good as they seem nor as bad as they seem. Can things get worse? Sure. Can things get better? Absolutely!
Like you, regarding this season, I don't know what the future holds. But what I do know is that come hell or high water I'm not going to throw our coaches and players under the bus.
And that's not to say that changes shouldn't be made. But I also remember the hate mail Day received after the Xichigan loss. That type of nonsense and some of the things people say on this board need to stop. It's over the line and unacceptable, imho.
GO BUCKS! Beat Oregon!

 

[heisman]

Before Julian went down, the qb play was not bad, it was inconsistent. Julian’s overall play still ranks as #2 in the country in pass efficiency. Rattled Julian was still less than what you need for an NC.

Indiana was the only full game where Julian had an overall poor performance. Against Texas, he put up the highest passing efficiency of anyone who has faced the longhorns all year. That’s not meaningless. But it is consistent with what we saw with our eyes. Rattled Julian was regressing as the year went on.

Even so… lots of teams would like to have a qb who is #2 in the country in pass efficiency. They would call that a good year. At Ohio State however, you need a qb more like will howard to have what you call a good year

Mostly because Sayin was throwing it to 4, regardless of coverage, not because he was making the correct read. More importantly, it was his best option with limited time to throw. Fahey had McCuin wide open deep middle, every time McCuin ran deep middle. No time to throw, and quite honestly, too short to see him.

 

[Jagdaddy]

Random thoughts: I’m choosing to follow my rule that a coach who wins a natty gets a three-year exemption from serious grief from me, but what’s so disappointing is that I’d thought that after 2024 scUM, Day was finally freed from whatever his demons are by hitting rock bottom and surviving it and that he’d matured into maybe becoming a total master and commander of the program. Apparently, demons don’t get permanently banished so easily … This may also just be how college football is now: Something like an NFL where the powers that be want everyone to be .500 over any period of five years or more. With all the roster turnover that every team will have, modifying schemes and practice process to accelerate scheme learning and improve execution seems like it needs to be a really high priority. As for clock, high leverage down, and overall strategic game management, find someone who has that as their main talent and stick him right next to Day during games.

 

[Onebuckfan]

My biggest criticism and I ll say it forever, JT Barrett was Ben Johnson’s QB coach and interviewed with Day and Arthur Smithj got the job. Revisit that next Spring.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Many of us agree that Arthur Smith did not have a strong resume. But Smith and Barrett were not the only two options, and even if they were, it doesn't seem all that clear cut to me. We have all seen (quite recently) that being a good (or great) position coach says nothing whatever about how good you're going to be as a coordinator, regardless who the coach you reported to was.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Many of us agree that Arthur Smith did not have a strong resume. But Smith and Barrett were not the only two options, and even if they were, it doesn't seem all that clear cut to me. We have all seen (quite recently) that being a good (or great) position coach says nothing whatever about how good you're going to be as a coordinator, regardless who the coach you reported to was.

It was JT, Arthur Smith, and a soda can that was dropped and got all fizzed up waiting for somebody to open it and get soda sprayed all over them. I would rank them as:
1. JT
2. soda can
3. the thing in your eye that is just out of view and when you look at it, it darts away
4. Arthur Smith

 

[zbuck]

It was JT, Arthur Smith, and a soda can that was dropped and got all fizzed up waiting for somebody to open it and get soda sprayed all over them. I would rank them as:
1. JT
2. soda can
3. the thing in your eye that is just out of view and when you look at it, it darts away
4. Arthur Smith

I'm getting tired of your self fulfilling prophecy buddy ....

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

It was JT, Arthur Smith, and a soda can that was dropped and got all fizzed up waiting for somebody to open it and get soda sprayed all over them. I would rank them as:
1. JT
2. soda can
3. the thing in your eye that is just out of view and when you look at it, it darts away
4. Arthur Smith

Point made, and JT may very well end up being a great OC, or maybe more. But just being a good qb coach doesn't prove that you're qualified as an OC.

 

[Poe McKnoe]

Random thoughts: I’m choosing to follow my rule that a coach who wins a natty gets a three-year exemption from serious grief from me, but what’s so disappointing is that I’d thought that after 2024 scUM, Day was finally freed from whatever his demons are by hitting rock bottom and surviving it and that he’d matured into maybe becoming a total master and commander of the program. Apparently, demons don’t get permanently banished so easily … This may also just be how college football is now: Something like an NFL where the powers that be want everyone to be .500 over any period of five years or more. With all the roster turnover that every team will have, modifying schemes and practice process to accelerate scheme learning and improve execution seems like it needs to be a really high priority. As for clock, high leverage down, and overall strategic game management, find someone who has that as their main talent and stick him right next to Day during games.

I will counter your three year exemption with this fact: unless you are GOAT Nick Saban, no other modern era college football coach has ever won ANOTHER national championship more than 2 years after a previous national championship.

Back to back? Sure. 2 years later? Attainable. Win at a different school? You bet. Repeated, delayed success at the same school is an anomaly. You have to go back to Bobby Bowden (1993 and 1999) and Barry Switzer (1975 to 1985). Read into it what you will, but it doesn’t happen unless you are Saban himself.

 

[brodybuck21]

 

[DaveyBoy]

Sorry, folks, but the truth is Day has done a great job overall but his weaknesses are showing now and we are losing to teams which are close in talent more than we are winning. Day simply can’t free his mind or whatever to punish the opposition for selling out to stop JJS. He can’t make the opposition wonder if a blitz is coming….they assume one is not. We seem to play down to lesser teams and are now starting to not play equal or up to great teams. That sounds like OSU is falling back to the pack. Not good.

 

[Charliejadk]

Sorry, folks, but the truth is Day has done a great job overall but his weaknesses are showing now and we are losing to teams which are close in talent more than we are winning. Day simply can’t free his mind or whatever to punish the opposition for selling out to stop JJS. He can’t make the opposition wonder if a blitz is coming….they assume one is not. We seem to play down to lesser teams and are now starting to not play equal or up to great teams. That sounds like OSU is falling back to the pack. Not good.

Great post. Day is his own worst enemy.

 

[Ryan36_1]

Point made, and JT may very well end up being a great OC, or maybe more. But just being a good qb coach doesn't prove that you're qualified as an OC.

This is how I feel. Same with Hartline. GOAT WR coach. Showing potential to be one hell of a head coach. But I don't think he was or was ever going to be a great OC.

I will counter your three year exemption with this fact: unless you are GOAT Nick Saban, no other modern era college football coach has ever won ANOTHER national championship more than 2 years after a previous national championship.

Back to back? Sure. 2 years later? Attainable. Win at a different school? You bet. Repeated, delayed success at the same school is an anomaly. You have to go back to Bobby Bowden (1993 and 1999) and Barry Switzer (1975 to 1985). Read into it what you will, but it doesn’t happen unless you are Saban himself.

To counter, your counter: Nick Saban. When one dude wins 27% of the championships since your last example, that really reduces the chances for everyone else. Also, the window is very much open for Kirby, who currently has best odds to win it all this year. Give me a guy who is on a 2+ year drought and has been in mix during that drought over a guy who hasn't won it all.


In regards to coach Day, I try to avoid the black-and-white, 'fire him or build a statue of him' roller coaster that a lot of our fan base is on. But, how we come out today will heavily weigh on my opinion of him. Even the best coaches have games with subpar execution, lose with better talent, and put together game plans that never had a chance to win in hindsight. Elite ones bounce back. We need to bounce back today in both execution and scheme. Did Day and the coaches accomplish that this week?

 

[Onebuckfan]

Nick Saban DB coach.