Jul 23, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day speaks to the media in the course of the Large 10 soccer media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports activities In late July, the warmth is on virtually all over the place.
However in Columbus, Ohio, the warmth has been on Ohio State head coach Ryan Day since 2021.
Dropping three straight rivalry video games to Michigan will depart a fan base ticked on the coach who’s being paid thousands and thousands to not lose these video games.
With Chip Kelly working the Buckeyes’ offense in 2024, Day may simply beat Michigan and provides new athletic director Ross Bjork just a few million causes to not search for a brand new coach. Kelly as offensive coordinator appears about as overqualified for a job as a school professor could be to instruct center schoolers on, say, historical past.
Nonetheless, overkill could be the factor Ohio State must take the following step underneath Day. In a tradition and a program that grades solely on whether or not you win all of it, Day is 0-for-5.
That is the place Kelly is available in.
You’ll be able to debate simply how good a coach Kelly was with UCLA and at two stops within the NFL. And in case you needed to fall on the aspect of “not well worth the paycheck,” you’d most likely be proper.
However it could possibly’t be debated that Kelly was sensible at Oregon and that he ought to be capable of take the Buckeyes’ offense from 0 to 60 faster than their followers had been melting down on social media throughout three consecutive losses to the hated rivals from the north.
“He is the most effective play-callers within the historical past of school soccer,” Day stated of Kelly on Tuesday on the first of three Large Ten Convention media days in Indianapolis. “It permits me somewhat extra peace of thoughts … there’s plenty of belief right here. I belief him with my life.”
Whereas the convention would not do a preseason media ballot, cleveland.com does. Of the 27 people they polled, 21 consider Ohio State will emerge from the 18-team taffy pull because the champion.
Not that it takes a lot to create nice expectations for a program with a nationwide fan base and fanatical followers. However pairing Kelly’s sensible offensive thoughts with a few of the most gifted gamers within the sport equals much more outsized hopes.
“He would let you know he is very excited with what he has,” Day stated. “My job as the top coach is to ensure it suits complementary soccer throughout the board.”
Additionally heard from Large Ten coaches on Tuesday:
–Illinois coach Bret Bielema led off the session by saying there is not a extra thrilling time in his life to be the varsity’s head coach.
That may catch some abruptly, provided that the Combating Illini are ranked thirteenth within the preseason after regressing from a great 2022.
–Rutgers’ Greg Schiano stated it is “time to get going. It is time to make a mark.”
The Scarlet Knights are picked ninth and Schiano feels good about his squad, evaluating it to his good groups from his first run within the mid-2000s that had a spate of future NFL gamers.
–Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell is excessive on Miami switch quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, saying that he has “executed an exceptional job and that I count on him to develop in his management function.” If Van Dyke performs to his functionality, the Badgers may outperform their predicted seventh-place end.
–Northwestern’s David Braun stated the problem this 12 months is to duplicate final 12 months’s success, when the Wildcats went from 1-11 to a stunning 8-5 mark.
“Can we discover the identical stage of management inside our workforce?” he requested.
–Purdue’s Ryan Walters stated he is extra snug in his second season on the job. Walters has 37 new gamers on the roster, which is not anticipated to do a lot.
The Boilermakers are picked for 18th and final place within the league.
–Bucky Dent, Subject Degree Media