Ohio State enters this upcoming season as quite possibly the most talented team in the country. The Buckeyes add some key transfers on both sides of the football while retaining some of their best players from last season.
However, the big question remains: Why hasn’t Ohio State had the success it should have with all this talent? Many point the blame at head coach Ryan Day, who has just a 1-3 record against archrival Michigan. In fact, former Wolverine and ESPN’s Desmond Howard says Day finds his job security in jeopardy.
“Some fans will say, ‘Well if we got rid of Ryan Day, who would we hire?’” Howard said Friday morning on ESPN’s “Get Up!”, “They went out and hired Chip Kelly as an offensive coordinator. So if things go awry, I think they have someone that’s behind Ryan Day where they say, ‘Chip Kelly can be the next coach too.’ So I think that Ryan Day, he’s on the hot seat right now.”
Desmond Howard suggests Ohio State could replace Ryan Day with Chip Kelly if 'things go awry' in 2024...
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Kelly brings a run-heavy offense to Columbus this upcoming season, an area where the Buckeyes have struggled in recent years. Nevertheless, this style of play should benefit running backs TreyVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who are both up for the Doak Walker Award this season.
Day has been the one calling plays for Ohio State offensively in previous years. Hiring Kelly will give Day more oversight of the team if problems arise this season.
Although all eyes are already on Oct. 12 when the Buckeyes travel to Autzen Stadium in Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks, their first game will be on Aug. 31 when they host in-state opponent Akron. It will be interesting to see how this talented group performs to open the season with a new offensive play-caller at hand.