Ryan Day Is Just 5 Weeks Away From Becoming the Most Successful FBS College Football Coach in History

We all know college football don’t hand out crowns easy—but here’s the plot twist. We might be literally watching history get written in real time in just a matter of weeks. Forget the debates about SEC or Big Ten dominance or who’s the best quarterback in 2025. The real story is sitting on the sideline in Columbus, rocking that scarlet polo, staring dead at the camera like he knows something the rest of us don’t. And the truth? He does. Especially after derailing Arch Manning glazing in Week 1’s most anticipated season opener of all time. The matchup didn’t quite live up to the hype, but Ryan Day and his DC Matt Patricia straight-up schooled arguably the best play-caller in the game — Steve Sarkisian. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is knocking on the door of immortality — and it only takes five weeks to kick it wide open.

Since taking the keys in 2019, Ryan Day has turned Ohio State into a winning factory. The Buckeyes have piled up 71 wins against just 10 losses under his watch, putting his career win rate at an eye-watering 87.5%. That’s not just leading the pack among active coaches—that’s brushing shoulders with the greats of college football history.

For context, legends like Woody Hayes (57-19-3 through 80 games) and Jim Tressel (66-14) didn’t start this hot. Even Urban Meyer, the last Buckeye to hoist a natty, was 72-8 in the same stretch. And now Day is just five weeks away from officially passing them all in win percentage, taking the top spot among FBS head coaches.

The resume already looks ridiculous. Back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 2019 and 2020, a Sugar Bowl win in 2020, a Rose Bowl in 2021, and finally, that crown jewel—Ohio State’s first national title since 2014, delivered in 2024. The playoff run was one for the ages: Day’s Buckeyes didn’t just win; they bulldozed. Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame—gone. Across four games, the Buckeyes outscored top-tier opponents 145–75, sending a message that Day’s squad wasn’t here to participate; they were here to dominate.

Before you all spam “he plays against cupcakes” or “he stat-pads 8–10 games against nobodies,” look at his run. Day’s track record against ranked teams proves Ohio State has been punching heavyweights. He’s 25–9 against Top-25 squads, 16–8 against Top-10, and 5–6 against Top-5 monsters (kinda bad). Sure, the Michigan rivalry’s been a thorn — four straight L’s will haunt any coach — but Day’s still held his ground after the upset in Columbus last December. He broke losing streaks against Tennessee, handled Oregon and Texas, and knocked off Notre Dame.

Even the hardware shelf is flexing. In just 6 seasons, Day’s racked up Big Ten Coach of the Year honors, led Ohio State to three straight outright conference titles, and kept the program stocked with All-Americans, 5 Heisman finalists, and double digits first-round draft picks. Off the field? He’s got the program setting records in the classroom too, with the highest Academic Progress Rate in school history.

Ohio State’s football team just hit a school-best graduation rate of 94% in 2023 — yeah, that’s their highest ever! And over the past four years, they’ve been rockin’ a solid 93% average. Not too shabby, right? Plus, for the fall semester of 2024, the whole squad pulled off a team GPA of 3.3. That balance—wins on Saturday, stability Monday through Friday—has the Buckeyes faithful believing he’s building something more than just a run.

The university noticed. Back in February 2025, Ohio State locked him down with a contract extension through 2031, tossing him a cool $12.5 million a year—second-highest paycheck in the game. Translation: they know they’ve got their golden ticket. And after last season’s natty run, the investment looks more like Nvidia stock.

Now the path is clear. The Buckeyes open with 4 straight matchups against Grambling State, Ohio (the Bobcats), Washington, and Minnesota. Barring a meltdown, Day should stack those wins easy, officially moving into the top spot among FBS coaches in win percentage. It’s not just about numbers, though—it’s about what those numbers mean. Ryan Day is about to cement himself as the most successful head coach in the history of college football, and he’s doing it at one of the most scrutinized programs in America.

The Chase for Immortality

The wild part: it ain’t just about winning games. It’s about rewriting what “success” even means for a modern head coach. Day’s about to set the highest win percentage ever seen, but the kicker is, he’s doing it while weathering insane pressure. At Ohio State, anything short of natty feels like failure: “It’s an honor to be the head coach at Ohio State. I’d probably say that this job is not for everybody.” Ryan Day preached after winning the natty.

His climb looks even crazier when you zoom out. He’s not some lifer grinding through mid-majors for two decades. He stepped in as Urban Meyer’s successor in 2019, and instead of flinching, he doubled down. Within two years, he had the Buckeyes in back-to-back Big Ten titles and a CFP final. Within five, he delivered a championship that Ohio State fans had been thirsting for since 2014. That’s like walking into a mansion and immediately remodeling it better.

Also, top college football analysts have Ryan Day sitting right near the top of the coaching food chain. Chip Patterson straight-up says Day is “a top‑two coach in all of college football,” and Tom Fornelli from CBS ranks him No. 2, only behind Kirby Smart, saying, “If you have him outside of your top five, I’d question your sanity.” Ari Wasserman from On3 agrees, also putting Day at No. 2 and pointing to his 2024 championship run as proof he can win the biggest games. Jesse Simonton has him at No. 4 and praises how Day’s handled the program, especially with big hires and top-tier roster moves.

Of course, not everybody’s buying stock in Day just yet. Paul Finebaum’s never been shy, and he said, “Anyone who thinks Ryan Day is one of the two or three best coaches in the country is foolish.” Stewart Mandel puts him at No. 7, mostly because of those stumbles against Michigan, and Bruce Feldman has him around No. 5. So yeah, while some analysts see him as elite—maybe even the guy—others think he’s gotta prove it a little more in rivalry games before he’s crowned the best.

Still, numbers don’t lie. An 87.5% win rate, a national title in hand, and consistent dominance over multiple seasons speak for themselves. Love him or hate him, Ryan Day is carving his name into the history books—and the legends’ circle is waiting.

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