Ohio State coach Ryan Day spent the weekend celebrating the program’s ninth national championship, a crowning achievement for a group that had operated like one of the best teams in the country all year and then played some of its best football in the biggest moments with a challenging run through the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes are a worthy champion to represent both the season as a whole and the first-ever 12-team format, but it was also a huge piece of affirmation for Day as one of the sport’s best coaches in this moment.
Already boasting one of the most gaudy winning percentages, Day was experiencing a huge disconnect between his record (now 70-10 overall and 46-5 against Big Ten opponents) and the discussions around his job performance. The goals at Ohio State are to beat Michigan, win Big Ten championships and compete for national championships. With a losing streak to the Wolverines that extended to four games in November, the pressure was on for the playoff run. Our greatest competitors show their strength in moments of adversity, and Day won over those doubters with the work done to get the Buckeyes ready for a redemption run in the postseason.
Because there are so few active coaches with national championships, winning your first carries more weight than ever when we are ranking or debating the top coaches in college football. Day had the on-paper resume worthy of more respect than he probably got, facing the “handicap” of leading a program with more talent and resources than most everyone else in the country. Now, with the title run, he’s a made man in Ohio.
For a while, the national championship-winning coach being a first-time winner was not a regular occurrence. The success of Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Dabo…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/who-will-be-next-coach-to-win-first-national-title-steve-sarkisian-james-franklin-among-names-at-forefront/
Author : Chip Patterson
Publish date : 2025-01-28 15:17:00
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