We’re nearly ready to use that college football ‘D’ word again. This time, for Ohio State. Dynasty.
Ryan Day recruits, and he develops. He also pumps out great quarterbacks.
Buckeyes blessed with enviable resources, and Ryan Day delivers ROI.
Dust off the ‘D’ word. Give it a shine.
We’re nearly ready to use it again. The beast Ryan Day’s building at Ohio State bears all the markers of a dynasty.
Yep, I said it.
The pundits telling you dynasties are dead in this new age of parity must have forgotten Ohio State, or they simply don’t want to acknowledge what the No. 1 Buckeyes have cooking.
Down in Texas, coach Steve Sarkisian insisted the undefeated teams of yore were the last of their kind.
Speak for yourself, Sark, because Day knows what he’s doing with his five-star quarterback, the one who’s not named Manning. Oh, and that Ohio State defense? It’s what Texas’ was supposed to be.
Dynasties are like thunderstorms. They don’t tend to sneak up on you, so long as you keep an eye out. You can see them rolling in from the horizon.
If you don’t detect the thunderclap building in Ohio, it’s because you wish to ignore it. The Buckeyes are winners of 11 straight, dating to last season. They’re a threat to become college football’s first 16-0 team.
What’s Ohio State’s cumulative scoring margin during this win streak?
Buckeyes 400, opponents 116.
That’s lightning and thunder, a show of force that points to college football’s next dynasty rolling in.
Ohio State has dynasty ingredients with Ryan Day
Here’s what you need to build a dynasty in this era:
1. Money. Ohio State’s got plenty. Investment doesn’t guarantee a championship, but it gives you a chance. No pauper will hoist the big prize in the pay-to-play era. Ohio State’s got the backing to sign premier recruiting classes while also cherry-picking transfers.
2. Recruiting. Championships are won with five-star Jimmies and four-star Joes. NIL didn’t make Day a great recruiter. He’d already established his chops in that arena. He’s never signed a class that ranked outside the top five nationally.
3. Quarterback development. Day really shines here. Urban Meyer brought Day, a former NFL quarterbacks coach, onto his staff for his expertise coaching the game’s most important position. He’s shepherded one superb quarterback after another, from Dwayne Haskins to Justin Fields to C.J. Stroud to Will Howard to now Julian Sayin, who’s completing 80% of his passes as a first-year starter. If you have a quarterback, you have a chance. Day’s always got one.
4. Developing recruits into pros. It’s not enough to sign talented recruits. A coach and his staff must get players to perform to their recruiting billing. Day’s doing fine in this area. Fourteen Buckeyes were selected in this past NFL draft. More first-rounders are on the way.
5. Making good staff hires. Recruiting became Nick Saban’s super skill during his dynasty. He also was a maestro of motivation. Another ace up Saban’s sleeve? He went on a tremendous run of hiring good coordinators. Now, check out Day. He had a great pairing last year with Chip Kelly and Jim Knowles. Lost ’em both. Replaced them by promoting Brian Hartline and hiring Matt Patricia. The Buckeyes haven’t skipped a beat. No coach can build a dynasty if success hinges on the retention of a particular coordinator. If he loses a good one, hire a better one.
Ryan Day delivers return on investment
Two persistent criticisms follow Day, even as his .885 career winning percentage trumps that of Knute Rockne.
No. 1: He can’t beat Michigan. Fair criticism. He’s 1-4 against Michigan, including an inexplicable loss last year. Saban won six national titles during a 12-year stretch from 2009-20. He also went 8-4 during the Iron Bowl in that same span.
No. 2: He benefits from a resource and talent advantage. Yeah, so what? Ohio State’s the revenue king, but it’s not as if it rules in a land of the destitute. Oregon’s got Nike money. Michigan’s got Oracle money. Curt Cignetti’s galvanized Indiana’s huge alumni base, and he’s gotten into Mark Cuban’s wallet.
James Franklin and Brian Kelly went splat despite coaching well-heeled programs. Sarkisian is doing less with more with his 2025 Longhorns. So, I’d call Day’s ability to deliver return on investment a feature, not a bug.
Saban achieved his dynasty by assembling unmatchable talent. Then, Kirby Smart replicated that move. They weren’t winning national titles with a team of three-star Dandy Dans. You build dynasties by signing and developing guys who’ll play on Sundays. Day does that.
The Buckeyes’ robust roster payroll creates the avenue for an advantage. It does not guarantee the type of dominance Ohio State’s achieved lately. Check out Texas using its war chest to build a team that needed overtime to survive Kentucky and Mississippi State.
The luster of this weekend’s Penn State-Ohio State matchup is gone, because only one coach delivered ROI, while the other got swallowed whole by the expectations.
The only silver lining for Penn State fans? They won’t have to watch Franklin wilt against Day for the seventh consecutive season.
“They really have a nothing-to-lose mentality,” Day said of facing four-loss Penn State. “We have to be at high alert.”
When speeding toward a dynasty, it sure helps if you can resist rat poison and navigate past trap games.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
