Desmond Howard suggests Ohio State could replace Ryan Day with Chip Kelly if 'things go awry'

Desmond Howard said Friday he believes Ohio State could turn to Chip Kelly if “things go awry” in 2024.

Ohio State is expected to do big things again this fall, like usual, as the Buckeyes were ranked 2nd in the AP preseason poll a few weeks ago. But what if Ohio State stumbles and falls short of expectations under Ryan Day?

That’s where Howard chimes in. The ESPN college football analyst and former Michigan great is already mulling about that exact situation.

“Some fans will say, ‘Well if we got rid of Ryan Day, who will we hire?’ They went out and hired Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator,” Howard said on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’. “So if things go awry, I think they have someone behind Ryan Day where they can say, ‘Chip Kelly can be the next coach too.'”

Here’s video of Howard’s comments:

Desmond Howard is already getting a head start on narratives when it comes to Ohio State and Ryan Day.

"Some fans will say, 'Well if we got rid of Ryan Day, who will we hire?' They went out and hired Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator. So if things go awry, I think they… pic.twitter.com/w7sy5U7fDo

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 23, 2024

It’s not like Day hasn’t had success during his time in Columbus. He has a glossy 56-8 record, although Day is only 2-4 in bowl games. He’s also lost 3 consecutive games to rival Michigan entering the 2024 campaign.

Kelly left the UCLA head coaching job this past offseason in order to be Day’s offensive coordinator in Columbus. Day previously worked for Kelly at New Hampshire. Kelly was 35-34 in 7 seasons as UCLA’s head coach.

Ohio State is currently a 9.5-point favorite to beat Michigan in its regular-season finale, per the latest odds from FanDuel.