Ryan Day was poised to lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to their first National Championship in over a decade. However, despite this achievement, Fox Sports Radio host Ben Maller predicts that the ongoing criticism of Day will likely persist.
Day’s reputation has become a frequent topic of discussion leading up to the game. The sixth-year head coach has faced the “can’t win the big one” label regarding his struggles against Michigan and in the College Football Playoff. Most might think that a national title win would significantly alter that narrative, as winning a championship is the ultimate goal for every program.
Nonetheless, Maller offered a different viewpoint on his radio show, The Ben Maller Show, suggesting that Day’s championship victory serves as a “temporary pardon” that could soon be revoked if Ohio State loses to Michigan for a fifth consecutive year next season. “What does this win do now for the much-maligned Ohio State football coach Ryan Day? What does this victory do?” asked Maller, commenting on the recent scrutiny Day faced after the Michigan game. “This win is a nice fire extinguisher on the old hot seat for now.”
He further elaborated, “Everyone is getting a pardon. Preemptive pardons, all that. So this is like a pardon but it’s a temporary pardon until the Buckeyes lose to the Wolverines again coming up in late 2025. And then we can get the laser printer and we’re back to square one.”
📺 @benmaller connects the dots from yesterday’s College Football Championship and Presidential Inauguration and what it means for Ryan Day’s future at Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/C4Rh5Wegrg
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) January 21, 2025
Maller is not alone in this sentiment; Desmond Howard notably criticized Ohio State fans on Monday’s edition of College GameDay for having a “psychotic obsession” with Michigan. While it may be true that Day’s job security isn’t entirely assured even after winning the National Championship, it seems that Maller may be downplaying the significance of Ohio State’s victory over Notre Dame as merely a small reprieve rather than the monumental achievement it would signify for any other coach in the nation.
