Paul Finebaum Names National Championship Coach Who Is Not Elite originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
In college football, only three current head coaches have won a national championship as a head coach. This comes after Mack Brown, the former head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, parted ways with the university after the 2024 season.
Advertisement
The three coaches are: Kirby Smart, head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs; Dabo Swinney, of the Clemson Tigers; and Ryan Day, of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both Smart and Swinney have each won two national championships, while Day won the most recent championship last season.
Despite his success, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum stated on “The Paul Finebaum Show” that he does not consider Day to be one of the elite coaches in the sport.
Ohio State Buckeyes football head coach Ryan Day© Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“I think he’s a very good coach, but I don’t believe he’s among the elite coaches in America,” Finebaum said. “He still does some really stupid things like losing to Michigan every year, which is inexcusable. Last year, he had the best talent. Nobody in college football doubted a year ago that Ohio State had the best team. Everyone said the same thing.”
Advertisement
Finebaum pointed out that Day benefited from having two elite assistant coaches on his staff last year: offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. However, neither is returning this year. Kelly is now the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders and Knowles has taken on the role of defensive coordinator for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Ryan Day Led Ohio State on an All-Time Great College Football Playoff Run
The Buckeyes had an impressive run in the College Football Playoff last season, finishing with a regular-season record of 10-2. However, they suffered two narrow losses: one to the Oregon Ducks, 32-31, and another to the Michigan Wolverines, 13-10, marking their fourth consecutive defeat against Michigan. The loss to Michigan ultimately eliminated them from contention for the Big Ten Championship.
Advertisement
Ohio State would secure the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and face the No. 9 seed Tennessee Volunteers, the No. 1 seed Oregon Ducks, the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns and the No. 7 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish on its path to winning the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes were impressive, winning all four of their games by double digits. Only the 2018 Clemson Tigers, 2019 LSU Tigers, 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide and 2021 Georgia Bulldogs have achieved this feat in the playoff era, but they did so in the four-team playoff format.
Paul Finebaum Doesn’t Think Ohio State Will Win Back-to-Back National Championships
Ohio State aims to win national championships in consecutive seasons. The last team to achieve this was the 2021 and 2022 Georgia Bulldogs. However, Finebaum believes that this will not happen.
Advertisement
“There are so many things to like about Ohio State, but right now, I don’t think they will,” Finebaum previously said. “I think it’s extremely difficult to do that. The weight of the previous season is almost insurmountable… I think they’ll get back to the playoffs, but my sense is they won’t make it to the national championship game.”
Ohio State Loses A Lot From Last Year’s Team But Returns Two Key Players
One reason the Buckeyes may struggle to win the national championship again is the significant challenge posed by the departure of several key players from last season, including quarterback Will Howard. But that’s not all.
Advertisement
Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton, as well as defensive backs Lathan Ransom, Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock are all gone.
However, they return two key players, including sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who topped the Big Ten with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions, and senior defensive back Caleb Downs, a consensus All-American. Last season, Downs recorded 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and two interceptions. Both players are regarded as some of the best in college football.
Ohio State and Coach Day have a chance for a significant victory when they face the top-ranked Texas Longhorns, whom Finebaum predicts will win the national championship, at noon ET on August 30 in Columbus, Ohio.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names National Championship Contender That’s Overrated
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
