The No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes are in uncharted territory under head coach Ryan Day, and he made it clear after Saturday’s loss that nobody’s job is safe.
Ohio State blew a 14-0 lead and watched the No. 23 Oregon Ducks score 38 straight points on their way to a 41-28 win at Ohio Stadium. It was the Buckeyes’ second straight loss and their third of the season — the most they’ve ever had in a season during Day’s eight years in charge.
Day was asked about it afterward. His answer suggests things could look a lot different in Columbus very soon.
Ryan Day Emphasizes ‘It All Starts With the Staff’
Day didn’t name names after the game, but he made it clear where he’s looking first.
“I think we have to evaluate everything,” Day said. “… I’ve got to evaluate everything and come in tomorrow and figure out with the staff the things we’re just coming up short on and figure out how to adjust those things. It all starts with the staff, then it goes to the players. There has to be accountability for all of it and we go from there.”
That’s a notable shift from earlier in the week.
After Ohio State’s 30-18 loss to USC on Oct. 31, Day said Tuesday that he was “not in the frame of mind” to make staff changes, according to the Associated Press. He also insisted the Buckeyes weren’t running bad schemes.
“When I go back through the scheme, there are definitely some plays on both sides of the ball that I think schematically we can do better — there are,” Day said. “But it’s not an overall issue that we’re like running bad plays or we’re running bad defense. I don’t see that as a major problem.”
Still, Day also delivered a warning that looks a lot more ominous now.
“We’re not allowed to lose games, and when that happens there’s consequences,” he previously said. “That’s just the way it is, and if you don’t like it, then don’t come to Ohio State.”
The obvious question is whether either coordinator is on thin ice. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is in his first year as offensive coordinator, while Matt Patricia is in his second season running the defense after leading the nation’s best unit in 2025.
Ohio State’s Season is Slipping Away
Saturday’s loss exposed problems on both sides of the ball.
Ohio State’s offense went cold for most of the second and third quarters, and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was caught screaming toward the sideline late in the third quarter after making his first catch since the opening quarter.
Defensively, the Buckeyes failed to pressure Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola as the Ducks piled on the points.
The Buckeyes have also been without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who’s out with an arm injury. Freshman Luke Fahey has started the last two games, and Ohio State has lost both of them.
The fans let Day hear it too. The Ohio Stadium crowd booed Day and Fahey as the game got away from them.
Ohio State’s College Football Playoff hopes are now hanging by a thread. And if Day was serious about accountability starting with the staff, the Buckeyes might not wait until the offseason to shake things up.
Ohio State’s Ryan Day Puts Coaching Staff on Notice After Oregon Loss