After Losing to Michigan, Ryan Day and Ohio State Might Be Best Served to Part Ways

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Before he lost the game he couldn't afford to lose for the third consecutive time, Ryan Day's name began conveniently surfacing for other head coaching vacancies.

Texas A&M and all its resources need a head coach. Specifically, it needs a head coach who knows how to win.

Day, who has won the vast majority of the football games he's been a part of at Ohio State, could be a fit. At least that's where the rumors appear to be headed.

The timing, of course, couldn't be better or worse. That depends on how one looks at Day and the job he's done at Ohio State, which is even more complicated after another soul-crushing loss against rival Michigan.

While the notion of a separation might seem preposterous when you consider that Day has a record of 56-7 at Ohio State, he and the school might be at a plateau. At the very least, one can't help but wonder if the anxiousness and angst that has been building in Columbus for the last 1,000 days can be shed.

On Saturday, Ohio State did plenty of good things against Michigan. Playing on the road in a challenging environment, the Buckeyes were 40 yards away from pulling off one of the more dramatic finishes the sport has seen.

The potential storybook finish, however, wasn't to be. Quarterback Kyle McCord threw his second interception of the day, which sealed a 30-24 Michigan win.

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It was the third straight win for Michigan in the rivalry. Notably, the Wolverines won this game without head coach Jim Harbaugh at home wrapping up his three-game suspension handed down by the Big 10.

With the victory, Michigan will meet Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. A win against the Hawkeyes, which feels likely, will send the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff.

For Ohio State, it will once again be sidelined for the conference championship. Although the Buckeyes still made the playoff last year despite being idle for conference championship weekend, the path this year doesn't feel as defined. Time will tell.

In the immediate, Ohio State is once again left on the wrong end of a close, emotional loss.

The Buckeyes lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff by a single point last season. A missed field goal at the end of regulation would have won Ohio State that game and perhaps a national championship.

How different would the conversation be if that field goal was made? Very different. Although it wasn't to be. Such has been the case for Day since taking over for Ohio State.

With the loss, Day has now lost three consecutive games to Michigan. Before the losing streak, Ohio State had won the matchup 15 of 16 times. One must travel back to 1997 to find the last time Michigan won this game three consecutive times.

Although it just one game, it's more than that. Although rivalry games can often be overstated, the significance of this football game is constantly in the proper context. This game has also carried significant stakes when it comes to national impact.

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Losing one is always a tremendous blow. Losing three in a row, to a fan base that expects and demands more with championship aspirations on the line, is almost unfathomable.

It is this intersection that a potential Day departure starts to take shape. While calls for his job last season felt premature, it's hard not to at the very least evaluate the current state of the program a full calendar year later.

On one hand, he's one won a ton of football games. Beyond winning 56 of 63 games overall, Day has led the Buckeyes to a record of 39-3. Most programs would do anything to enjoy this kind of streak just once in their existence.

At Ohio State, however, those three conference losses count differently than the others. The first two Michigan losses were ugly blowouts highlighted by lopsided second halves.

Against Michigan this year, Day chose to punt at midfield on the team's opening drive on fourth-and-short rather than roll the dice. Although it's easy to criticize these decisions with the results in hand, it's also a reputation that has plagued the coach.

Day is undeniably a brilliant offensive play caller and a tremendous recruiter. He's done largely a superb job at Ohio State, even with these losses. But these moments have become his kryptonite, and it might be best for all parties if this football marriage comes into question.

This doesn't feel like a normal "hot seat" conversation. This is something completely different.

Day has won too many games to enter the conversation that others currently find themselves facing. But the losses have been very public, very raw, and very real. And while they don't happen often, the magnitude of each defeat is hard to simply move beyond.

If Texas A&M is truly interested, Day would be foolish to not listen. A fresh start would do him well. Ohio State, in its present situation, also would be foolish to protest such a move.

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That's not to say Day isn't a good coach. His record says plenty. But how many years can Day (and the program) stomach a finish like this? And at what point do these failures ultimately become something the school can't stomach?

It feels like we're there. At the very least, the marriage between coach and football program—and specifically the fan base—is approaching an unhealthy, unstable place.

While it seems unlikely that Ohio State would move on from Day, especially with the Buckeyes still technically in the playoff conversation, a separation might be the most reasonable outcome given the unreasonable expectations that currently elude Ohio State.

It's only one loss, but it's the latest in a mounting line of losses. At some point, something has to give.