Lou Holtz picks Tennessee over Ohio State, says winning CFP is ‘one way’ Ryan Day can save jobs

In the weeks following Ohio State’s shocking 13-10 loss to archrival Michigan on Nov. 30, there’s been talk, from both college football pundits and Buckeye legends, about Ohio State coach Ryan dayemployment status and what exactly his team might need to do in the College Football Playoff to save his season and his job.

A figure who is all too familiar to Day has now also weighed in on the matter.

In a video he (or someone close to the 87-year-old) posted on social mediaLou Holtz said going all the way to the playoff championship game and winning a national title is “the one way they can possibly save” Day’s job.

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Holtz, for his part, does not believe that will happen, as does the former Notre Dame coach chose Tennessee to defeat Buckeyes Saturday night at Ohio Stadium in the first round of the playoffs.

“I think it’s going to be an excellent game, and I think Tennessee has an excellent chance to upset Ohio State,” Holtz said. “Because Ohio State will rely on the pass and Tennessee’s excellent run defense.”

Earlier in the video, Holtz said the stakes are bigger than a playoff game for Day and the Buckeyes.

“I think Ohio State will be so focused after losing to Michigan,” Holtz said. “It’s going to do two things. One, it’s going to hurt Ohio State’s confidence. But No. 2, it’s going to motivate them to try to go all the way. That’s the one way they can possibly save Coach Day’s job. Ohio State are a very good football team, but they don’t run the ball well enough to be a great football team.”

Holtz’s comments largely echo what former Ohio State wide receiver and Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter said in early November when he told Stephen A. Smith that Day should be fired if the Buckeyes don’t win the national championship.

“If you look at the quarterbacks he’s had, if you look at the offensive productivity he’s had and the inability to win the big one (against Michigan) but once and no national championships, well, your job will be in danger at Ohio State,” Carter said.

Although Holtz hasn’t coached at the college level since 2004, he and Day have been inextricably linked in recent years.

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Before Ohio State’s 2023 game at Notre Dame, Holtz said Day’s losses with the Buckeyes have come because their opponents were more physical teams. The comments caught Day’s attention. In the moments after, his team secured a 17-14 victory over Fighting Irish with a touchdown with one second remaining, Day famously opened his postgame interview with NBC by addressing Holtz.

“I want to know where Lou Holtz is right now,” Day said. “What he said about our team, I can’t believe. It’s a tough team right here. We’re proud to be from Ohio. It’s always been Ohio against the world and it will continue to be Ohio against the world.”

Day is 63-10 since taking over as Ohio State’s full-time head coach prior to the 2019 season and has led his team to the playoffs for the fourth time in his tenure. However, he is just 1-4 against Michigan, with the most recent loss coming as a three-touchdown favorite at home against a Wolverines team that was just 6-5 entering the game.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Lou Holtz picks Tennessee and says Ryan Day should win the CFP for the job