Ryan Day is under some pressure to turn Ohio State around after losing three straight games to Michigan. While his job seems more than secure, one ESPN analyst says the Buckeyes may already have a replacement for Day “in case something goes wrong.”

College GameDay analyst and former Michigan football star Desmond Howard raised the possibility that, in a worst-case scenario, Ohio State could put new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly in charge.

“Some fans said, ‘If we get rid of Ryan Day, who are we going to hire?’ They brought in Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator,” Howard said.

“If something goes wrong, I think they have someone behind Ryan Day who they can say, ‘Chip Kelly can be the next coach, too.'”

Day brought Kelly, his own former coach at New Hampshire, to the Buckeyes as offensive coordinator after his first hire, Bill O’Brien, suddenly left the team in the offseason to become head coach at Boston College.

Kelly has a wealth of experience as a head coach, with an overall record of 81-41 (.664), including a 2010 national championship appearance with Oregon, as well as experience in the NFL as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

But it’s premature, to say the least, to say Day’s job is on the line. He has a 56-8 record at Ohio State and a 39-3 record against Big Ten opponents.

Day has led the Buckeyes to three College Football Playoff appearances, his team was a finalist in the 2020 season and could have been just one point away from defeating Georgia in the 2022-23 postseason.

But these losses to Michigan stand out at a school that places so much emphasis each year on how its football team fares against its main rival.

“I think Ryan Day is on the hot seat right now,” Howard said.

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