Nobody wants to be the guy that follows the guy. That’s the situation Ryan Day is in at Ohio State, though.

Day will begin his first season as the permanent head coach of the Buckeyes, stepping in for Urban Meyer, who set an incredible standard in Columbus, even for Ohio State. Even though the program is in a bit of a transition period, the expectations haven’t diminished one bit.

Meyer, who now serves as an analyst for FOX Sports, recently sat down with BTN’s Gerry DiNardo to talk about the challenges Day will face, and what he’s already doing well. Meyer sees a bit of himself in the new Buckeye leader, a good sign.

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“If you had to say what my greatest strength was, I surrounded myself with greatness,” Meyer told DiNardo. “I think he’s done the same there.”

That’s hard to argue. Not only does Day have a great offensive staff, he stole Greg Mattison and Al Washington from Michigan, and brought in Jeff Hafley from the San Francisco 49ers, all tremendous additions to the staff. And, those new guys have also helped on the recruiting trail.

Currently, Ohio State’s recruiting class ranks fourth nationally and is No. 1 in the B1G. Hafley and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline are considered to be two of the three best recruiters in the game right now. Not bad for a first-year head coach assembling a staff.

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Meyer isn’t surprised by the early success Day has had.

“We hired him because he’s a very good coach,” Meyer said. “Ryan’s got to be himself, and he can be himself. He is being himself. They’re killing it in recruiting, he’s doing an excellent job.”

Day’s first test will come when the season kicks off on Saturday, though. The Buckeyes will host FAU to start the 2019 campaign and begin the Day era. The following Saturday, Ohio State welcomes in-state rival Cincinnati into The Shoe.