Stephen A. Smith adds fire to Ohio State coaching rumors with surprise Big 12 coach pick

The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes under coach Ryan Day will host the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus in a first-round college football playoff clash on Saturday. After the Week 14 loss to the Michigan Wolverines (13-10), the embattled coach has been under the microscope for his record against the Buckeyes' eternal rivals and the college football playoffs will be a pressure cooker of his credentials.

During Wednesday's segment of the "First Take," ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith weighed in on the speculation surrounding Day's Ohio State job security and the potential candidates who would fit in at Columbus, suggesting Colorado coach Deion Sanders as an alternative.

“They want a name. Somebody mentioned to me Mike Vrabel, who starred at Ohio State and did a good job in the NFL in Tennessee. But as good as he is, that’s not going to create the sizzle,” Smith said. “I think in the age of NIL and the transfer portal and all of that, the combination of the two, I think when you have these blue chip programs, you’re looking for sizzle.

“Of course, you’re looking for production — ultimately, somebody that can get the job done. It definitely always comes down to that. But if you can get the sizzle to be an allure, an attraction that’s gonna generate revenue for you, not just with the games, but just the mere mention of your name and what that brings. See, that’s where the Prime Times of the world come into play and that’s what’s gonna make him so attractive."

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Analysts put the pressure on Ohio State coach

During Thursday's segment of the "Get Up" show, ESPN analyst Harry Douglas added to the pressure on Ryan Day proclaiming that the only way to save his job was to win the national championship.

“Yeah, well, so, 100%. I feel like Ryan Day has to win a national championship to save his job,” said Douglas. “Yep. When you lose to Michigan four years in a row, but you also lose to Sherrone Moore in a year that your roster is way better than the University of Michigan? Uh, you have to win a national championship. That’s one of the dark clouds that’s over his head right now. He hasn’t been able to do that.”

The Ohio State Buckeyes coaching job seems like a poisoned chalice at the moment as Ryan Day, who has compiled a 66-10 record against all the opponents he has faced as Buckeyes coach, is finding out. His tenure is mostly judged by his 1-4 record against the Michigan Wolverines.