By Mmesoma 
College football analyst Paul Finebaum isn’t one to shy away from bold takes, and this week he stirred the pot once again by pointing to one major head coach who, in his view, must make the College Football Playoff in 2025 — or face serious consequences.
During an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, Finebaum singled out Ryan Day, head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, as the coach under the most pressure entering the 2025 season.
> “There’s no more wiggle room,” Finebaum said. “Ryan Day has to make the College Football Playoff this year — not just for his job security, but for the credibility of Ohio State’s national title hopes moving forward. The expectations in Columbus are sky-high, and anything less than a Playoff appearance will be seen as failure.”
Day, who boasts an impressive overall record since taking over in 2019, has found himself increasingly under scrutiny in recent seasons, particularly for his inability to consistently beat Michigan. Despite fielding elite talent and maintaining top recruiting classes, the Buckeyes have missed the CFP in back-to-back years — a stretch that fans and alumni see as unacceptable.
The expanded 12-team Playoff format in 2025 gives programs like Ohio State a slightly wider margin for error, but Finebaum argues that the pressure remains just as intense.
> “With the expansion, there’s really no excuse,” Finebaum continued. “Ohio State should not only be in the Playoff — they should be competing for a national title. Anything short of that, and people will start asking hard questions about whether Day is the guy to get them there.”
Day isn’t alone in facing high expectations. Coaches like Jimbo Fisher (now at West Virginia), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), and Lincoln Riley (USC) also face mounting pressure entering the fall, but Finebaum insists Day stands above the rest.
> “It’s not just about performance,” he explained. “It’s about perception. Losing three straight to Michigan, missing the CFP again, and watching Georgia and Alabama dominate the national conversation — that doesn’t sit well in Columbus.”
Ohio State enters the 2025 season with one of the most talented rosters in the country, including five-star quarterback Julian Sayin and a loaded defense anchored by potential first-round picks. Their schedule includes key matchups against Penn State, USC, and, of course, Michigan in the regular-season finale — a game that could once again determine their postseason fate.
As media days approach and fall camp looms, the conversation around college football’s coaching hot seats will only intensify — but if Finebaum’s take proves correct, no one’s spotlight is brighter than Ryan Day’s.