Desmond Howard Predicts Ryan Day’s Replacement ‘If Things Go Awry’

On Friday morning's airing of ESPN's "Get Up," "College GameDay" personality Desmond Howard gave his thoughts on Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day's possible future if the program does not achieve its goals in 2024.

Ohio State has loaded up on top-tier talent this offseason, highlighted through transfer portal additions of quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins, and safety Caleb Downs. Adding that amount of talent to a program boasting one of the nation's top recruiting classes has created the expectation that the 2024 Buckeyes squad could be the best chance Day has had in his tenure as head coach.

The lofty expectations have also created a must-win feeling within the fanbase, as the program has been hindered in its previous three seasons by three consecutive losses to archrival Michigan Wolverines.

When asked if Ryan Day could be on the hot seat this fall, Howard said that the offseason additions, combined with the already talent-rich lineup, have created the feeling of an all-in push to win a championship.

"It's like this," Howard said. "I think the people at Ohio State just pushed all of their chips to the center of the table. They went and spent about $13 million on free agents. Well, College Football's version of free agency with the portal and NIL."

Howard continued by mentioning that the program made an offseason hire of former UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly to be the new offensive coordinator under Ryan Day in the fall. He used this as reasoning to suggest that Kelly could take over for Day if the program's championship expectations are not met this fall.

"Not only that, but some fans would say, 'Well, if we got rid of Ryan Day, who would we hire?,'" Howard added. "They went out and hired Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator. So if things go awry, I think they have somebody who's behind Ryan Day.... Chip Kelly can be the next coach."

While Ohio State possesses a tremendous amount of talent this fall, a few premier matchups on their schedule could prove critical to the success of the Buckeyes' title hopes. Those matchups are the Oct. 12 contest against the No. 3-ranked Oregon Ducks, Nov. 2 contest versus No. 8-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, and the season finale with rival No. 11-ranked Michigan Wolverines.

Howard finished his comments by confirming that through all the expectations and potential replacement options present, Ryan Day is on the hot seat in Columbus this fall.

"So I think that Ryan Day, he's on the hot seat right now," Howard concluded.

Ohio State opens their 2024 campaign by hosting the Akron Zips from Ohio Stadium on Aug. 31. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. (ET) start on CBS.

Related: Ohio State Football 2024 Preview: Beat Michigan, Win the National Championship, or Else