Will Ryan Day be forgiven if Ohio State wins the National Championship?

Ohio State looked dead in the water. The Buckeyes had just been stunned on their home field 13-10 by their most hated rival after being favored to win the game by more than 20 points. Michigan players planted their flag on the Block O at midfield and the action ignited a fight between the two teams. The bigger fight, though, was Ohio State fans vs. Ryan Day.

Buckeye fans have lambasted their head coach for being unable to win the big games, and after a fourth straight loss to Michigan calls for Day's job began to grow louder. It took 11 days for Day to silence them.

First, Ohio State trounced Tennessee 42-17 in the first round of the College Football Playoff and on New Year's Day the Buckeyes exacted revenge over Oregon in a 41-21 drubbing of the No. 1 team in the country. Ohio State is now two wins away from winning its ninth National Championship, all while fans call for their head coach to be fired.

Ryan Day may become the first coach in college football history to win a National Championship while his fanbase actively calls for him to be fired.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 1, 2025

Many believed Day was coaching for his job against the Volunteers and that only a win would allow him to return in 2025. Before the opening round, though, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said he was confident that Day would return next season. Now it seems inevitable that he will be on the sidelines in Columbus in the fall.

Ohio State's two massive wins in the playoff are a great start in the 'Ryan Day Forgiveness Program'. The next step is beating Texas in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl on January 10.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day signals to his kick return team during the third quarter against the Oregon Ducks

Day should still be feeling pressure even if OSU wins the National Championship / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

However, this is Ohio State we're talking about. The forgiveness program will not be complete until Day beats Michigan. He's 1-4 in five games against the Wolverines and until the Buckeyes get a win over their arch-rival, fans will be questioning Day's job security even if they reach College Football's mountaintop.