Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day was ranked as the top head coach in the Big Ten by one college football analyst.
Day is coming off winning a national championship with Ohio State and college football analyst Trent Knoop of SI ranked Day as his top coach in the Big Ten.
“Most people, including me, thought Day was on the hot seat entering 2024 with three-straight losses to Michigan,” Knoop wrote. “With a fourth? He would be gone unless Ohio State would run the table. And that’s exactly what happened. The Buckeyes lost to Oregon and Michigan in the regular season, but dominated when it mattered. Day has a proven track record of success.”
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Knoop has Oregon’s Dan Lanning as his second-ranked coach and Penn State’s James Franklin as his third-ranked coach. Rounding out his top five is Kirk Ferentz of Iowa and Lincoln Riley of USC.
Michigan Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore came in at eighth.
Knoop’s full rankings of Big Ten coaches is as follows:
- Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Dan Lanning, Oregon
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
- Lincoln Riley, USC
- Curt Cignetti, Indiana
- Brett Bielema, Illinois
- Sherrone Moore, Michigan
- PJ Fleck, Minnesota
- Matt Rhule, Nebraska
- Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
- Greg Schiano, Rutgers
- Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
- Jedd Fisch, Washington
- Mike Locksley, Maryland
- Barry Odom, Purdue
- David Braun, Northwestern
- DeShaun Foster, UCLA
Ryan Day and Ohio State will be tested Week 1
Although one college football analyst ranks Ryan Day as the best Big Ten coach, he and the Ohio State Buckeyes will be tested in Week 1.
Ohio State is the reigning national champion but will open its season at home against Texas in an intriguing game. Heading into the game, Day knows he needs the Buckeyes clicking early, or it could be a bad start to the season.
“Last year, if we miss a few tackles in a couple of those games in Game 1 or 2, you get it on film, you grow and you build working into the next week,” Day said, via 247Sports. “You can’t afford to do that in your first week against Texas. You gotta be on your game. So it certainly makes for a more amped up summer.”
Despite opening the season against Texas, Day and Ohio State enters the season as the betting favorites to win the national title at +500.