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The 2026 college football season has been nothing short of chaotic, with unexpected twists at every turn. Utah and UCLA remain the only undefeated teams—a scenario that would have seemed absurd before the season began. Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan are both struggling, and their fan bases are calling for coaching changes.
Ryan Day and Kyle Whittingham are each facing intense pressure in their respective locales. The question on everyone's mind: who will be fired first?
Ryan Day's Rocky Record at Ohio State
Day has compiled a 6-5 record in his last 11 games at Ohio State—a startling statistic that underscores the program's recent decline. The Buckeyes' standard is exceedingly high, and Day must at least come close to meeting it. While he has done so in the past, the situation in Columbus is unraveling rapidly.
Ohio State's defense, which was stellar last season with multiple top-12 NFL draft picks, has faltered without those stars. New coordinator Matt Patricia appears lost, and the unit just surrendered 41 points to Oregon and quarterback Dylan Raiola. Notably, USC, under Lincoln Riley, also gave up 41 at home to Oregon this year—a sign of how bad things have gotten.
Quarterback play is not the sole issue. Luke Fahey has made mistakes, but he is not the primary problem. The defense is collapsing, and issues like bad snaps and poor line play are not Fahey's fault. The real problem is systemic: Ohio State is struggling across the board.
Part of the problem is the quarterback room. The inability to develop Tavien St. Clair to a level where the coaching staff feels comfortable playing him is a damning indictment of Day and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith's experiment looks like a bust, and his choice of NFL coordinators on both sides of the ball seems questionable. Smith will definitely not coach at Ohio State in 2027, while Patricia's future is more uncertain.
Day's biggest failure, however, is roster construction. The Buckeyes lack the high-end talent they had last year, with the exception of Jeremiah Smith. The defense is far more pedestrian, and there is no quality backup quarterback. Ohio State should never struggle to field a deep, talented roster, yet Day has plainly flopped in that regard.
Kyle Whittingham's Uphill Battle at Michigan
Whittingham's decision to coach at Michigan rather than retire raised eyebrows, especially after he spoke at Utah about wanting to spend more time with his family. The move was a surprising twist for those who covered him in the Pac-12. Michigan fans who believe Whittingham has nothing left in the tank may be drawing a reasonable, if debatable, conclusion.
At Utah, Whittingham fielded very good defenses but often lacked a good quarterback until Cam Rising arrived and helped him break through. What is happening at Michigan this year is not wildly out of step with his tenure at Utah. The Michigan defense has done its job; the offense is a disaster. It is not a full-on catastrophe—just an offensive one. The defense is fine.
Michigan's power brokers need to question Whittingham not about his defense but about his plan for the offense. If that plan is not convincing, Whittingham should be pushed out now, after just one season.
Key Analysis: Buyouts, Titles, and Timelines
Day's national championship at Ohio State likely buys him the 2027 season. He was not a complete failure before this season, having led the Buckeyes to the playoff quarterfinals last year as the No. 2 seed. However, if 2027 resembles 2026, Day will not coach at Ohio State in 2028.
Whittingham must fire offensive coordinator Jason Beck and land a high-quality quarterback in the transfer portal. If Michigan's decision-makers do not receive convincing answers on these two fronts, they should absorb the buyout and dismiss Whittingham after the Ohio State game. If Whittingham acknowledges the need for staff and roster changes, he can proceed into 2027—but like Day, if 2027 mirrors 2026, he will be gone before 2028 arrives.
Originally reported by yahoo.