Ryan Day vs top 5 teams: Wins, Losses, and records

Since joining the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2019, coach Ryan Day has had a team that ranked inside the AP top 10 most of the time. Day's Buckeyes have even ranked within the top five during a good portion of his tenure. So, when looking at his record against top-five ranked teams, one would expect OSU to have at least an even win-loss record.

While we cannot expect a perfect record against top schools, a program as consistently strong as Ohio State should be decent. However, Day has often come up short against top-five-ranked teams.

Ryan Day vs. Top 5 teams

On Saturday, this trend continued against No. 3 Oregon, as No. 2 OSU lost 32-31. It brought Day's record against top-five teams to 2-6.

2019 CFP semifinal vs. No. 3 Clemson

The first top-five team Ryan Day faced as Ohio State coach was against No. 3-ranked Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals. It was a close game, but ultimately, the Buckeyes lost 29-23.

2020 CFP semifinal vs. No. 2 Clemson

The next year there was a CFP semifinal rematch between the Buckeyes and the Tigers, and this time Ryan Day was able to help his team come out on top. It was a dominant performance from the Buckeyes, as they won 49-28.

2020 CFP national championship game vs. No. 1 Alabama

The next game of the season for OSU was the national championship game against No. 1-ranked Alabama. The Buckeyes' victory in their previous outing did not mean much as the Crimson Tide defeated Day and Ohio State 52-24.

2021 regular season vs. No. 5 Michigan

Ryan Day only had one game against a top-five opponent in 2021, No. 5-ranked Michigan. Although the Buckeyes were favored to win, Michigan came out on top 42-27 in a dominant win for the Wolverines.

2022 regular season vs. No. 5 Notre Dame

2022 was the year when the Buckeyes under Day played the most top-five opponents, starting with No. 5-ranked Notre Dame. This turned out to be his most recent win against a top-five opponent, winning 21-10.

2022 regular season vs. No. 3 Michigan

Later in the season, the Buckeyes found themselves up against No. 3-ranked Michigan. The Buckeyes were unable to stop anything on defense and lost 45-23.

2022 CFP semifinal vs. No. 1 Georgia

OSU's last ranked matchup of the 2022 season came against No. 1 Georgia. Despite being underdogs in this contest, the Buckeyes nearly pulled off an upset in a 42-41 loss.

2024 regular season vs. No. 3 Oregon

The most recent loss against a top-five opponent for Ryan Day came against Oregon on Saturday. The Buckeyes blew a lead in the fourth quarter, allowing 10 points and losing 32-31 against a program ranked one spot worse than them.