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Ryan Day has yet to coach a full season of college football yet he has become a hot name in NFL coaching circles.
When it was announced Monday morning the Redskins had fired Jay Gruden, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said if he was in charge of the team, his first call for a replacement would be to Day.
Others in the national media have also mentioned Day’s name this week as a possibility to replace Gruden.
When asked about the possibility of leaving for the NFL, Day on Tuesday refused to talk specifics but said he is committed to coaching the Buckeyes.
It’s not surprising Day is drawing attention from the pro ranks. He was the mastermind behind a record-setting offense with Dwayne Haskins last year and has produced another powerful attack this season led by Georgia transfer quarterback Justin Fields.
No one but Day knows if he has NFL coaching aspirations. However, I would be surprised if he makes the jump any time soon. He has one of the top jobs in football at Ohio State and, if he continues to win, will get as much money as he wants.
Day was mentored by Chip Kelly, having played for Kelly in college and having worked with him in the NFL. I would guess that with Kelly’s lack of success being a head coach in the NFL, he would advise Day to stay where he is.
Now, on to this week’s football picks:
Jonathan Alder over Bellefontaine
Bellefontaine suffered a tough blow to its league title and playoff hopes with a loss to Springfield Shawnee last week.
The Chiefs face pretty much a must-win scenario tonight against Jonathan Alder if they want to keep alive chances of winning a fourth straight CBC Kenton Trail title and getting a postseason berth.
The Pioneers have shown they can punish teams both through the air and on the ground. That does not bode well for a Chieftain defense that struggled containing Shawnee’s running and passing attacks in the second half of last week’s game. Over the last two games, Bellefontaine has allowed 750 yards of offense by the opponent. Jonathan Alder 31, Bellefontaine 28.
Indian Lake over Northwestern
Indian Lake gets the opportunity to bounce back from last week’s loss to North Union with a matchup against a Northwestern squad that has lost three of its last four games.
Quarterback Clay Jacobs has put up big numbers all season for the Lakers and will continue to do that tonight in leading his team to a comfortable win. Indian Lake 34, Northwestern 14.
WL-Salem over Fairbanks
West Liberty-Salem has won by at least 41 points in every game to this point. Tonight figures to be more of a challenge for the Tigers, though.
Fairbanks comes in with four straight wins, outscoring their opponents 201-61 during that stretch.
While WL-Salem will have to work for this one, it will end with another victory. WL-Salem 35, Fairbanks 27.
Ben Logan over Urbana
Having lost five games in a row, Ben Logan desperately needs something to feel good about. A game against winless Urbana tonight offers the Raiders a chance to achieve that. Ben Logan 33, Urbana 13.
W-Goshen over Riverside
The growing pains have been apparent for the Pirates over the past few weeks as they have dropped three of four.
Riverside still has some kinks to work out, and the Tigers, who lost for the first time last week, will cause some more problems for the Pirates tonight. W-Goshen 33, Riverside 26.
Mechanicsburg over Triad
Triad is licking its wounds after a 42-0 loss to West Liberty-Salem last week. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the outlook for tonight does not look much brighter. Triad has to tangle with a Mechanicsburg squad looking to rebound after suffering its first loss to West Jefferson a week ago. Mechanicsburg 41, Triad 20.
Elgin over Ridgemont
This looks like it might be Ridgemont’s best opportunity to get a win this season as Elgin also comes into the game with a winless record.
However, the Comets have been more competitive than their record indicates. They only lost by a point to Mt. Gilead and gave Riverside a tough challenge two weeks ago. Ridgemont, meanwhile, has not been within 22 points of any of its six opponents. Elgin 21, Ridgemont 13.
Around the horn
Texas surprises Oklahoma, 38-34 … The Ravens fly past the Bengals, 27-10 … The Seahawks claw the Browns, 24-14.