Rankings and ratings can be objective, but perception? That’s where things get messy. And nothing stirs up college football debates like coaching rankings—especially when one of the most scrutinized coaches in America is in the spotlight. Despite leading Ohio State to a national title, Ryan Day didn’t top ESPN’s 2025 preseason head coach rankings. Instead, Kirby Smart was placed at No. 1. Day? A respectable No. 2 with 97 points. At the same time, USA Today’s Paul Myerberg ranked Day as the No. 1 coach in the Big Ten this season. But will what’s ahead in Columbus be as flashy?

On paper, the Buckeyes are loaded for another run. They have a stacked 2025 roster and a quarterback battle brewing between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz. Sayin, the presumed frontrunner, has impressed scouts with his quick release and pocket mobility—key traits for a 6-foot-1 quarterback in Day’s offense. Add in Purdue tight end transfer Max Klare, who’s projected to break two school tight end records, and the momentum feels real. But not everything is smooth sailing in Columbus.

While the player depth chart looks promising, the coaching staff’s backstory is far more complicated. In 2023, Day promoted Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator. But the next season, he took the play-calling duties away and brought in Chip Kelly to run the offense. That’s where the drama started.

On the June 13 episode of George Wrighster’s College Football podcast, guest Brooks Austin made a sharp observation. “I know they got a bunch of weapons, but hey, does everybody just like forget that he fired Brian Hartline the last time he tried to hire him as an offensive coordinator. Did we just forget that?”

Wrighster echoed that concern: “Dude, I said this. Ohio State fans should be nervous as hell.”

That move came back to bite Day. Kelly, after just one season, left to become the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. In a swift response, Day reinstated Hartline as OC—this time out of necessity more than trust. But the sudden return may not benefit Hartline’s long-term development.

As Wrighster pointed out: “If you’re Brian Hartline, are you going to be willing—because most coordinators, they kind of work their way up through the system because in your first time or second time coordinating, you are going to make mistakes. Chip Kelly had some mistakes last year, and he’s a phenomenal offensive coordinator, phenomenal play caller. But you don’t get to take your lumps at Ohio State.”

Kelly wasn’t perfect, but he was effective. He helped the Buckeyes go 14-2, averaging 35.7 points per game. More importantly, under Kelly’s guidance, Jeremiah Smith—Day’s top wideout—racked up 1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 76 receptions.

That makes the pressure on Hartline even more intense. If the offense stumbles? “So if this offense does not look like it did last year with Jeremiah Smith and [Carnell] Tate and the running backs that they have coming back and that defense, and if it does not look good and he has to get demoted, I do not believe. Well, it would be tough for me to believe that Brian Hartline would be willing to stay at Ohio State, and he’s the reason why they keep getting all these wide receiver recruits,” Wrighster warned. And that’s not a minor detail. According to 247Sports, Hartline has been credited with recruiting nine 5-star and twenty 4-star recruits, including quarterbacks CJ Stroud and Kyle McCord.

The Buckeyes may be title contenders. But if the offense slips or if Hartline falters under pressure again, the cost might not just be another ranking slide—it could shake the very core of the program’s coaching continuity. Now, forget Hartline for a moment—Ryan Day himself doesn’t sound entirely confident about 2025.

With big boys gone, Ryan Day waits for young guns to step up 

The 2024 season has been mostly about highs for Ohio State. They scored 12.9 points per game and 1.11 points per drive. Topped off with a total defense of 254.6 yards per game. Now, the question remains: Will they be able to pull off a successful Ohio State defense 2.0? For that, Day will have to count on the young battalion.

The earlier squad included Jack Sawyer, Ty Hamilton, JT Tuimoloau, and Tyleik Williams. Each of them logged well over 500 snaps, and the Buckeyes’ rotation wasn’t that deep. Did Day push the issue under the table? No. Instead, he addressed it on the Big Ten Football podcast.

“I mean there’s a lot of inexperience there. Guys have played before, so it’s not like we don’t know if they can do it or not. They can. The question is, can they sustain it, and can they consistently produce? And that’s where the challenge is right now,” Ryan Day said. The inexperienced unit will be led by sophomore Eddrick Houston. There are players like  Kayden McDonald, Tywone Malone Jr., Will Smith Jr., Jason Moore, and Eric Mensah who are yet to prove themselves on the gridiron.

This makes Ryan Day miss his big boys a bit harder. Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton had held down the interior of the Buckeyes’ defensive line this past year. Now that the duo has gone off to the NFL, Ohio State might have been feeling like a fish out of water. As Day noted, “Losing Tyleik and Ty is felt. So, it’s been competitive. There’s been growth there but we know that that’s an emphasis for our defense to make sure we’re strengthening here. Especially the depth.” All this would add up to Day’s pressure to make the fans happy by throwing top-three finishes on a year-by-year basis. Is Day juggling too many fireballs at once?