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3 most overrated Big Ten football coaches ahead of 2024

By Connor Muldowney

Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches players stretch during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches players stretch during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA
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2. Ryan Day, Ohio State

This might be a slightly controversial opinion because Ryan Day's career record is 56-8 at Ohio State and 39-3 in conference play, but it's all about the quality of wins and reaching season-long goals for head coaches in Columbus.

Day is widely considered one of the best coaches in college football and I agree with that, but with Jim Harbaugh gone, he's just assumed to be the best coach in the Big Ten.

And I'm not sure I agree with that right now (my pick would be Dan Lanning).

Day has three straight 11-2 seasons which have all been considered disappointments because Ohio State lost to Michigan all three years and missed the goal of Big Ten and national titles each time as well. He did win the Rose Bowl in 2021, but in the grand scheme of things, that's just a glorified bowl nowadays. If it's not the playoff, Ohio State fans just don't put too much value in it.

While most programs would love to have Day because he's an elite recruiter and wins games that he should, he's not beating the most important opponent on his schedule (he's done it just once in his five years -- Michigan opted out in 2020 due to COVID) and he hasn't made the Big Ten title game since 2020.

Day is a good coach, but he has to beat his rival and win his conference more regularly in order to be considered the best in the Big Ten.

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