Ohio State Buckeyes athletic director Ross Bjork claims head coach Ryan Day has nothing to worry about before the College Football Playoff.
Questions about Day’s job security arose after the Buckeyes lost a fourth straight game to rival Michigan in their regular-season finale. On Thursday, Bjork said Day doesn’t need to win the national championship to save his job, and he will “absolutely” be their HC next season.
“Coach Day is awesome,” Bjork told WBNS-FM in Columbus. “He’s great to work with. He totally gets it. He loves being a Buckeye. And so we’re going to support him at the highest level throughout.”
Bjork is in his first year as Ohio State’s AD after spending five years at Texas A&M. Perhaps he doesn’t understand how much the Buckeyes’ rivalry with the Wolverines means to their fan base. Regardless, he insists the program is still in a great position.
“We’re still breathing. We’re still alive. The season’s not over. The book is not closed,” Bjork said. “We’ve got to have confidence. I mean, Ohio State should be confident every single day. We’re Ohio State.”
The Buckeyes remain one of the preeminent programs in college football. In six seasons with Day as HC, they’ve produced many NFL stars, including New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Still, Day is 1-3 in the CFP, and the Buckeyes haven’t won a national title since 2014.
According to ESPN’s Jake Trotter, Ohio State invested $20M into its roster in 2024. If Day loses in the first round of the CFP, that would further prove he struggles to deliver in big games despite having elite talent.
No. 8 seed Ohio State hosts No. 9 Tennessee in the first round of the CFP on Dec. 21. Day better not flop. If he does, Bjork should reconsider his stance. The Buckeyes can’t keep giving Day a boatload of resources only for him to keep producing the same results.
