Ohio State's Ryan Day faces backlash after NFL Combine

Ohio State's Ryan Day faces backlash after NFL Combine originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Ryan Day can't seem to catch a break. Even during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this week, the Ohio State Buckeyes coach was on many people's minds. His former players once again proved their NFL strength and reignited questions about how the 2025 season ended.

More than a year removed from a College Football Playoff national title, Day is under renewed scrutiny after Ohio State’s quarterfinal exit as the No. 2 seed. The Buckeyes fell to Miami, which later lost to Indiana in the national championship game.

At the Combine, Ohio State’s talent was undeniable. It's a shame nothing went right for them when it mattered the most. 

Linebacker Arvell Reese blazed a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, the fastest among defensive ends. Linebacker Sonny Styles matched that time, added a combine-record 43.5-inch vertical for his position and posted an 11-foot-2 broad jump. Safety Caleb Downs continued to solidify his standing as one of the draft’s elite prospects, while defensive tackle Kayden McDonald remains a projected first-round pick.

Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab labeled Day and the 2025 Buckeyes among the combine’s biggest “losers,” questioning how a roster so rich in pro talent failed to win the Big Ten or a playoff game.

"How did the Buckeyes not win a national championship or even a Big Ten championship last season? How is it possible they didn’t even win a playoff game? Ohio State had better results at the NFL scouting combine than head coach Ryan Day had on the field last season," Schwab wrote. 

However, Talent does not guarantee championships. Indiana’s run proved as much with college football’s first 16-0 season in 132 years. 

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Ohio State enters 2026 as a projected national contender behind quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. With another top-tier recruiting class and a defense reloading rather than rebuilding, expectations in Columbus remain as high as ever. But so does the pressure on Day.

Can he escape the criticism early? One way to silence the naysayers is by winning. And a win in Week 2's matchup at Texas would do just that. 

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