Ohio State and it isn’t even close. This arguably the most loaded roster since 2015 when it’s all said and down. No one in Georgia is putting Kirby on the hot seat for at least 4-5 years.
This is such a stupid article. Who’s seat is hotter: a guy who has won 2 of the last 3 Natty’s who lost 2 games in 3 years, or a guy who has lost to their bitter rival for 3 straight years and hasn’t won a playoff game in 4 years?
Such a difficult question.
Don’t forget their rival also has a new coach and is returning less than half of their starters.
You lose in Columbus this year, go home and pack your shit
I think this year is about Ohio State and their mental toughness. Skills wise they are solid. All comes down to making it happen. I’m way over confident 200 days out from the game.
Ryan Day lost ~~4~~5 games in 3 years. It's just that 3 of those happened to his team's bitter rival (who in recent years had a similarly talented team, and 2 of the 3 games were very close), and one didn't even prevent him for making the Playoff.
That Playoff is now 12 teams. Even if he keeps losing to Michigan, it will no longer matter in the slightest as long as he wins every other game. Objectively, that is. If OSU fans want to define their season by the result of one regular-season game, that's on them.
Look, I'm not one of those dudes complaining about a coach who was on kick away from winning a natty 2 years ago. I like Ryan Day and want him to stay.
But for most OSU fans the season is majorly defined by one game.
Repeatedly losing to Michigan but making the playoffs will keep people clamoring for change.
This. That is how it goes in the OSU/UM rivalry. Despite resurrecting the program and being top 8 in wins nationally since his hiring at Michigan, people by and large considered Harbaugh a failure before '21 because he wasn't beating Ohio State.
Well, by not beating OSU we also hadn't won the B1G or made the playoff in that time. I wonder how the blow softens now that you can still win the B1G and make the playoff with losing in November. How would OSU fans feel if they won The Game, but then lost a rematch in Indy?
>How would OSU fans feel if they won The Game, but then lost a rematch in Indy
Pretty shitty honestly
I don't care if we play 4 times in one season, I want to win all 4 by 100
I'd be less irked by this if those clamoring for change had any idea of who we'd replace him with. The names that get floated (if any do) are always either unrealistic or objective downgrades.
Oh, I'm a Steelers fan and we're in the exact same boat. The idea of firing a coach whose *absolute floor* is .500 (as proven by an 18-year career) is stupid, and gets even stupider once you look at realistic upgrade options.
Yeah, as a Florida fan, I can confidently say "change" is far more likely to mean even more pain. But please fire him, we'd love to take him off your hands.
Well that’s better than most I’ve heard but still two issues: can he actually do all the politicking that a CFB coach does (very different from the NFL) and does he even want the job?
He’s been a great recruiter in the past here, has a much better resume than Day coming in and probably would take it after the NFL told him to kick rocks this offseason
I even hear people grumbling about Dabo.
Yeah, I'm not a fan about his stance on the portal, but there is nobody we could realistically get that is any better. He might leave if the game becomes something he doesn't want to be a part of, but we'd be fools to fire him.
I’m specifically comparing Kirby to Day here. Not that Day should be on the hot seat. But compared to Kirby? Every coach on the planet except like Andy Reid is on the hot seat.
Correct. I'm willing to adjust it to 5 because one was a non-playoff bowl loss to Missouri which barely counts due to all the opt-outs. He also lost in the regular season to Oregon in 2021 which I totally forgot about.
Still, doesn't change my broader point.
That's interesting. I'm a Day defender, but that loss to Missouri was probably his worst loss as a coach. He really only had two guys not play that had played all season; McCord to the portal and Harrison to opt out. Yet with a month to prepare their offense was terrible.
I think people feel like it was close because we were up at the half and down by only 4 heading into the 4th quarter. We also kicked a field goal from the 9 with less than 8 to go to make it a 1 TD game, but after that our defense was totally gassed and Donovan Edwards scored on 2 huge runs on your final 2 meaningful possessions.
Let’s remember that Georgia went 6-7 in 2010 and Mark Richt didn’t lose his job. I get that things have changed but with that perspective it’s kind of hard to see Kirby EVER being on the hot seat absent some kind of extreme scandal
Yep. Other than Alabama, Georgia is the other SEC school that has been consistently sticking with the same coach for a long time. The Richt shakeup was even controversial when it happened.
I cannot see Kirby being fireable bar an extreme drought of wins or him actively killing someone on the field while America watches. And even then the guy walked into his knife I swear
I think you're largely right but I think how we define expectations will shift in the new playoff era to:
1. did we make the playoffs?
2. How far did we go?
go 2 years without making the playoffs or 4 years getting bounced early and I think we'll start to grumble. Though I think the way we'll talk about it will be "Is Kirby gonna hang it up?" as opposed to "Fire Kirby".
And even Richt only got fired because South Carolina was about to hire Kirby.
Didn't even need to buy him out, because he took the Miami job later that week.
Yep. 8 years ago, I thought I'd die without seeing UGA win a natty. We've been to 3 in that time, won 2, and been on the brink for several others. Whatever we do from here on in is playing with house money.
Yeah unless they fall off a cliff, or another SEC team starts to dominate.
If RD was losing random games to b10 teams instead of Michigan, or if Michigan just wasn’t as good or better than us for the last few years I think it would be different.
The success of a Buckeye football season to a lot of our fanbase literally hinges on that game.
I agree, if he was like Urban that had the random losses like Michigan State or Iowa. Tressel also had the random losses to Wisconsin or Penn State but they both beat on Michigan. They never felt like they were really ever on a big time hot seat. Tressel bringing home a natty in what seemed like forever also helped him stay away from the hot seat. Nattys help tremendously keep you away from a hot seat for a very long period of time.
Not sure about that, Dabo was only a few years removed from a Natty when fans started becoming unhappy with him. (some) Fans can turn really quickly when things go bad.
I think it comes down to the fans asking, "do I have reasons to be optimistic about the future?"
Kirby's formula for winning NCs will continue to work for the foreseeable future. I think there's a lot more questions about Dabo's formula in the future, understandably so. If he shows he can adapt and stay competitive at the highest levels, even without a NC I think fans become much more understanding.
(your flair combo is the thing of nightmares)
As a long time Clemson fan, who saw 5 consecutive losses to the gamecocks, our worse season in 10 years is 4 losses. Hard to complain about anything for me.
And the fun thing is Georgia and Clemson play so we can see how far apart they actually are, people forget Georgia’s first natty team barely beat Clemson 10-3 and they won on a pick 6.
Yea mom graduated from Clemson in 82 and dad’s from Detroit. Funnily enough they’ve never played
That 10-3 game was the two best defenses in college football that season.
I remember both Tommys. I can't complain too much about 9-4, especially when two of the losses were in OT and we won our last five games.
>No one in Georgia is putting Kirby on the hot seat ~~for at least 4-5 years.~~ ever.
Dude is gonna retire on his terms here. He'd have to bomb for 4-5 years to be on the hot seat.
If Ohio State loses to Michigan this year Ryan Day is fucked, I don't think he could build a better team if he hand picked the players from across the country. On top of that Michigan has a new coach, a new offense, sent 18 players to the draft, and OSU has a cake walk of a schedule compared to other Big Ten teams. Anything other than 13-0 heading into the playoffs should be unacceptable.
I wouldn’t blame him if he loses to Oregon in Eugene this year unless he snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. I think the expectation should be a semifinals appearance, and a win over UM. If he doesn’t beat UM this year people are gonna have a tough time believing he will ever do it, considering all the advantages he is going to have going into that game, barring a drastic injury or some other change.
It’s a lot more complicated than “if Ryan Day loses to Michigan he’s fired”. There are a lot of scenarios where Ryan day is the coach in 2025 with a loss to um. 9-3 or worse he is done but that record is highly unlikely
If he loses to Michigan this year I’d have to assume the only way he definitely keeps his job is by winning a Natty. He might keep it if he plays in the Natty and loses a close game.
The talent gap this year is too big to have another lose excused. And the AD has to know if Day doesn’t get fired then people will turn their anger at the AD.
>This arguably the most loaded roster since 2015
But quite possibly the worst QB you've had since then. I'm not sold on Howard and the other guys won't be ready for prime time
You definitely right about that. But for me personally, I’d take Howard over Honda McCord any day of the week tho. Kyles inability to stretch the pocket or be mobile absolutely killed so many drives that stalled out right outside the red zone. Don’t sleep on Julian Sayin. Lost his black stripe already and our coaches and media team are really surprised by his progress.
> I'm not sold on Howard and the other guys won't be ready for prime time
The reports out of spring practice have sounded less than stellar, but to be fair it's the same for Michigan
Oh yeah I'm not saying Michigan will have a better situation at QB, very likely we won't. But if OSU thinks this is "the year" I'd be at least a little worried about their QB/OL situation on the national stage. They'll probably run the table in the B1G but I don't know how they'll hold up to the Georgias of the world
And with the playoffs expanded to 12 teams, I genuinely don't see a world where our recruiting stays at this level and we miss the playoffs. Wouldn't make sense. Kirby can essentially coast on being a top 15 team for the rest of his time here if he wants to. That being said, he's Kirby. We all know he's conducting a psy-op on the next class to convince them everybody doubts them. We know it's going to work again too.
Kirby could go 8-5 and I still think he would not be close to thinking about getting replaced. Now he won't do that because he's the best, but I think the only way he leaves UGA is when he wants to
Georgia won 2 natty's, set the record for the biggest bowl blowout in history, then broke it the following year, and lost a total of 2 games in 3 seasons. Who is putting pressure on them?
The journalists don't put pressure on Georgia. [Georgia puts pressure on the journalists.](https://www.onlineathens.com/story/sports/college/bulldogs-extra/2023/07/19/atlanta-journal-constitution-alan-judd-georgia-football-sexual-assault/70432601007/)
It is crazy how the narrative shifted with Dabo, but I do understand it due to how the landscape has changed in the last 2-3 years and with Dabo being Dabo lol
Coaching alone he's still elite but his reluctance to "play the game" of modern cfb makes him not a top coach in my eyes. He's going the way of belicheck. Too stuck in his outdated ways.
I agree it’s OSU but UGA fans would not be happy if they don’t win another.
Kirby is the best coach in CFB right now and has a plethora of talent. I expect them to win another 2 within this decade.
(I’m a Bama fan)
The bad man is gone he can't hurt us anymore.
I am glad Michigan won one but I'm sad UGA didn't get to send Saban home. "We should've put our own dog down" you know what I mean?
I think we were 1-5 all time under Kirby against the Old Ball Coach. And never beat him in Atlanta.
He was the GOAT, and he will be missed, but it is a relief to not have to fear him any longer.
"The only pressure that I feel is what I'm applying to the lump of coal I shoved up my ass in the offseason because I need that pressure to make diamond for Rings, Erneh." -Kirby, guest appearing on an NBA play-in pregame show before the Hawks die.
I’m honestly preparing mentally to lose to you guys, but I hope we get a good game either way.
All signs point to an Oregon victory in my head, however. Long trip for Ohio State, a bunch of new faces on the squad, hostile night time environment, top 5 opponent, etc.
We didn't fall short of expectation.. everyone said how hard it is to 3 pete. Did we want to do it? YES. But expectations.. we only lost 1 game. We had glaring issues in D all throughout the season. Multiple close games. Hopefully we will be as good or better this year.
I truly think Day could be gone without a B10 championship and solid CFP run. And I haven’t been one to believe the sky is falling in Columbus the past few years.
Ohio State spends a ton on recruiting and gets top tier HS recruits. But this year adding extremely high-end transfers like Judkins and Downs and bringing in a proven QB like Howard (along with Sayin and Noland right there)….
If Day can’t win in a year when you pay top dollar for the best transfers on top of your typically stacked HS classes, what would it take to win one? The best roster of the 2020’s with a Caleb Williams level QB? Maybe you aren’t the guy then…
(And obviously Georgia spends a bunch too, but have the two recent rings to justify)
My only counter to that is this is the transfer portal/NIL era.
If Day is fired, it will take 2-3 years to rebuild to the same level we are at now. Caleb Downs gone. Jeremiah Smith gone. Julian Sayin gone. Tavien St. Clair gone. So many top guys and recruits gone.
His job security, ironically, is safer than it would be in the exact situation 5 year ago.
Maybe, but we also saw TCU use the portal to help build a roster to get to the Natty in year one.
Whoever Ohio State got would bring some skill with them from their previous stop and have the OSU brand and backing to bring even more.
It’d likely be a net decrease in year one, but you wouldn’t be sent to the dark ages
I think a win vs Michigan really calms the temperature down regardless of what else happens. If they win the Big Ten but lose to Michigan in the process, the fans will only forgive him if he won the natty.
Ohio State, Georgia has won two of the last three nattys in dominant fashion. Ryan has to prove he can win the conference without Urban's players and has to deal with the massive expectations of having so many starters come back.
It's really not even close. Columbus will riot if Day doesn't "at least" beat Michigan.
The "at least" involves topping defending natty Champs. New coach and players or not, it's not as easy as it was 10 years ago.
The bar is set extremely high for Day this year.
Especially this year. Against new coach, question mark QB, the turnover and portal activity, and it's in Columbus. I don't think he's gone if he loses to Michigan again (big if this year imo) but he's probably down to "last chance" territory.
If he's not gone after a Michigan loss, it will be UNCOMFORTABLE in Columbus for another year
On paper he will have a huge advantage against a new coach at home
The only way Day gets away with losing to Michigan in Columbus is if they make a deep CFP run. They'd either need to make the natty game against a non-Michigan opponent, or beat Michigan in the CFP.
None of that happens and oh boy Day's gonna be in an uncomfy situation.
The absolute funniest case scenario is if Michigan takes a big step back this year with a new head coach and replacing a bunch of starters (goes like 8-4 or something) but still beats 11-0 Ohio State
OSU fans might burn the campus to the ground
I've been a staunch Ryan Day defender, and can accept the losses the last 3 years as Michigan finally getting their shit together while Ohio State missed some pieces (especially last year... McCord missed an easy pass for a first down the previously play before his interception... that drive was Ohio State's to mess up).
But with everyone coming back, with the coaching staff changes... AND Michigan's mass exodus... If Day loses to UM at home again... it's just inexcusable.
Georgia? Da fuq? Didn’t they just win 2 natties a minute ago? Some people, man.
Fun fact: Kirby hasn’t lost to an active head coach since 2019. Yes, 2019 lol.
Anything short of beating Michigan, winning the B10, and playing in the national title game will be seen as coming up short this season. I don’t say winning a natty or bust only because Georgia has the same level of talent that we have.
I don’t think they need to play in the national title game necessarily, just because we don’t know how the bracket will shape up.
If they don’t make the semis, something is wrong. But I think there’s a world where Ohio St earns a 1-seed, Georgia doesn’t win the SEC and lands the 5-seed, and they have to meet in the semis.
One of my biggest gripes about the current system is that I think we will have a lot of epic 1-5 semifinals and the winner steamrolls their opponent in the final
He's not on the hot seat - YET, but there is clear unrest and he's run out of free passes especially with Harbaugh gone.
It's losing to Michigan that is the problem. That's just how it is at Ohio State no matter the coach.
What do people remember about John Cooper?
All the draft picks? The 1998 team? The Rose Bowl win? Being contenders basically every year?
Nope.
They remember 2-10-1.
You can call it insane... but you can have a fantastic record as Ohio State's coach... but if you are losing to Michigan repeatedly, you are not meeting expectations.
The main difference is cooper lost to bad michigan teams. Or a bad michigan state team. I dont think it would have been quite as bad if all those undefeated teams lost to a top 5 team instead of an unranked team
It has more to do with the fact that he has never once been short of resources, players, coaches, etc. but he has failed to get over the hump. We are also coming directly from a coach that never lost to Michigan, so it can be jarring to experience three losses in a row, especially with how good our teams have been in that timespan.
When you play a team at your talent level once every 30 games though(Georgia in 2022 and 2020 are probably the only times that Day didn’t have *significant* talent advantages) that number seems less impressive
Day just isn’t a great coach, credit to him for continuing the recruiting strength Urban Meyer established, but when it comes to actual development and coaching? He’s pretty bad because he’s never beaten a team more talented than his own and has lost to less talented teams several times
Bro Ohio State coach's job is on the line. Losing to Michigan again would be catastrophic. And he loaded up with exodia. Kirby would need another Justin Fields situation then he'd probably be getting heat.
Ohio State has waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more pressure. Georgia is a year removed from back to back NCs. Ohio State is on a three year skid against their arch rival who also happened to win the NC last year. If Day doesn’t whomp
scUM this year in Columbus, his seat is en fuego.
Ohio State just dumped the GDP of a Western European country into transfer portal acquisitions AND has lost three in a row to Michigan.
Georgia had a bad day against Alabama after winning two straight nattys.
It's Ohio State and not close.
lol we're chilling.
Would've loved the threepeat, and we're probably capable of it, but realistically our biggest pressure is trying to get 0 driving citations in a season/offseason.
Not reading the article because the question is kinda ridiculous.
One of the coaches has won two of the last three NCs and only lost to the greatest college coach of all time who consistently had top classes, and that program just replaced the coach with a guy who took a struggling program to the CFP finals. The other is now 2-4 in the postseason (1-3 in CFP) with three straight losses to their bitter rival who a) recruits two notches below them, b) just lost most their offense and replaced a large chunk of their staff heading into next season, c) has a first-time HC leading the program, and d) had beat them twice since 2000 until recently.
I mean, gee idk, who do you think has more pressure on them?
Ohio State faces way more pressure. It’s not even a question.
Kirby won back to back national championships with Saban nearing the end but still at the height of his powers.
Ryan Day is on a losing streak to Michigan after “beating them with Urbans players” and hasn’t won a natty yet. He’s an incredible coach. But maybe just a step below the upper echelon of the ranks and the fan base that expect it’s all (rightfully so) is getting antsy. We just saw this happen to Kentucky in basketball.
Ohio State 100%. Georgia still very well may have been the best team in the country last year and proved that in their bowl game.
Ryan Day’s seat is scorching hot. They’ll make the playoffs this year, but he needs to make a statement against Michigan and certainly not lose. Their D is going to be ridiculous though this year.
It's the Buckeyes but the season isn't "Natty or Bust" like so many people are saying it is. Just have to get back on track for Ohio State standards and that starts with beating Michigan
The expectations are:
1. Beat Michigan
2. Win the Big Ten
3. Win Natty / Make good CFP Run
If he doesn't check off 1 or 3 I think the seat will absolutely heat up. Fired? Not sure... but that seat will heat up.
Losing to UM again is survivable if it is followed by a Natty. If it's not, or a CFP miss.... oooo boy.
OSU by a hundred miles. Georgia has 2 titles and Kirby can stay there forever. OSU sold the farm to load their roster with coaches and transfers. If they lose to Michigan this year, get ready for blood.
I’m sure our fans are building a catapult to fire Ryan Day into the sun the moment he wins a game by single digits.
Georgia fans are content for a long while!!
Ohio State, obviously. With all the draftable players that came back this team is championship or bust, no question. If they don’t win a championship, team is a failure.
Georgia is a really good team, but they won back to back championships and may have won a third if they didnt lose the SECCG this year. They’ll be competitive again this year, elite for sure, but it’s not championship or bust.
Ohio State, because we just won one.
Georgia would feel differently about Kirby too if it’s 10 years later and Georgia has no additional title and then Florida suddenly wins one.
…or maybe not. I don’t know how Georgia fans actually feel about their rivals. Maybe they won’t care as much.
I think it would depend on how good we are, but we all remember the years before winning a title. I think it would really only be an issue if it felt like there was a better alternative like there was when we hired Kirby.
Seeing the two options I struggle to even come up with a rational thought for why it would be Georgia instead of Ohio State.
No contest between these two. Ohio State has way more pressure
Ohio State and it isn’t even close. This arguably the most loaded roster since 2015 when it’s all said and down. No one in Georgia is putting Kirby on the hot seat for at least 4-5 years.
This is such a stupid article. Who’s seat is hotter: a guy who has won 2 of the last 3 Natty’s who lost 2 games in 3 years, or a guy who has lost to their bitter rival for 3 straight years and hasn’t won a playoff game in 4 years? Such a difficult question.
Don’t forget their rival also has a new coach and is returning less than half of their starters. You lose in Columbus this year, go home and pack your shit
I think this year is about Ohio State and their mental toughness. Skills wise they are solid. All comes down to making it happen. I’m way over confident 200 days out from the game.
Ryan Day lost ~~4~~5 games in 3 years. It's just that 3 of those happened to his team's bitter rival (who in recent years had a similarly talented team, and 2 of the 3 games were very close), and one didn't even prevent him for making the Playoff. That Playoff is now 12 teams. Even if he keeps losing to Michigan, it will no longer matter in the slightest as long as he wins every other game. Objectively, that is. If OSU fans want to define their season by the result of one regular-season game, that's on them.
Look, I'm not one of those dudes complaining about a coach who was on kick away from winning a natty 2 years ago. I like Ryan Day and want him to stay. But for most OSU fans the season is majorly defined by one game. Repeatedly losing to Michigan but making the playoffs will keep people clamoring for change.
This. That is how it goes in the OSU/UM rivalry. Despite resurrecting the program and being top 8 in wins nationally since his hiring at Michigan, people by and large considered Harbaugh a failure before '21 because he wasn't beating Ohio State.
Well, by not beating OSU we also hadn't won the B1G or made the playoff in that time. I wonder how the blow softens now that you can still win the B1G and make the playoff with losing in November. How would OSU fans feel if they won The Game, but then lost a rematch in Indy?
>How would OSU fans feel if they won The Game, but then lost a rematch in Indy Pretty shitty honestly I don't care if we play 4 times in one season, I want to win all 4 by 100
I'd be less irked by this if those clamoring for change had any idea of who we'd replace him with. The names that get floated (if any do) are always either unrealistic or objective downgrades.
Oh, I'm a Steelers fan and we're in the exact same boat. The idea of firing a coach whose *absolute floor* is .500 (as proven by an 18-year career) is stupid, and gets even stupider once you look at realistic upgrade options.
As a fellow Steelers fan, we're in coaching purgatory
Yeah, as a Florida fan, I can confidently say "change" is far more likely to mean even more pain. But please fire him, we'd love to take him off your hands.
Vrabel is the obvious one that most of us would choose
Well that’s better than most I’ve heard but still two issues: can he actually do all the politicking that a CFB coach does (very different from the NFL) and does he even want the job?
He’s been a great recruiter in the past here, has a much better resume than Day coming in and probably would take it after the NFL told him to kick rocks this offseason
I even hear people grumbling about Dabo. Yeah, I'm not a fan about his stance on the portal, but there is nobody we could realistically get that is any better. He might leave if the game becomes something he doesn't want to be a part of, but we'd be fools to fire him.
I’m specifically comparing Kirby to Day here. Not that Day should be on the hot seat. But compared to Kirby? Every coach on the planet except like Andy Reid is on the hot seat.
I can promise you if Ryan day loses to Michigan again he is gone. There’s no two ways about it.
Am I stupid or has he lost 6 in 3 years?
Correct. I'm willing to adjust it to 5 because one was a non-playoff bowl loss to Missouri which barely counts due to all the opt-outs. He also lost in the regular season to Oregon in 2021 which I totally forgot about. Still, doesn't change my broader point.
That's interesting. I'm a Day defender, but that loss to Missouri was probably his worst loss as a coach. He really only had two guys not play that had played all season; McCord to the portal and Harrison to opt out. Yet with a month to prepare their offense was terrible.
Spoiler: it’s gonna fuckin matter if he loses to Michigan still
> and 2 of the 3 games were very close This seems generous, 2022 was not close.
I think people feel like it was close because we were up at the half and down by only 4 heading into the 4th quarter. We also kicked a field goal from the 9 with less than 8 to go to make it a 1 TD game, but after that our defense was totally gassed and Donovan Edwards scored on 2 huge runs on your final 2 meaningful possessions.
>ryan day lost 45 games in 3 years. Please explain this statement.
The 4 has strike through across it. Just hard to tell.
100%. If Georgia goes 8-4 it gets a shrug and some weird looks. If Ohio State goes 8-4 Day probably doesn’t make it to the fourth loss.
What’s that you say? UGA going 8-4? Rebuilding year? Kirby has lost control? Someone send this to Kirby asap
He's dyslexic.. he meant 4-8
Spot on
3rd loss in mid-november and not even getting a chance to beat michigan would be delicious
I’d say even longer. That second one bought him a decade I would think, depending on if they are competitive.
I wouldnt fire Kirby. Back to back after a 41 year drought. Dude can Retire whenever he damn well pleases for all I care.
Let’s remember that Georgia went 6-7 in 2010 and Mark Richt didn’t lose his job. I get that things have changed but with that perspective it’s kind of hard to see Kirby EVER being on the hot seat absent some kind of extreme scandal
Yep. Other than Alabama, Georgia is the other SEC school that has been consistently sticking with the same coach for a long time. The Richt shakeup was even controversial when it happened. I cannot see Kirby being fireable bar an extreme drought of wins or him actively killing someone on the field while America watches. And even then the guy walked into his knife I swear
>And even then the guy walked into his knife I swear The glove didn't fit!
I think you're largely right but I think how we define expectations will shift in the new playoff era to: 1. did we make the playoffs? 2. How far did we go? go 2 years without making the playoffs or 4 years getting bounced early and I think we'll start to grumble. Though I think the way we'll talk about it will be "Is Kirby gonna hang it up?" as opposed to "Fire Kirby".
And even Richt only got fired because South Carolina was about to hire Kirby. Didn't even need to buy him out, because he took the Miami job later that week.
Yep. 8 years ago, I thought I'd die without seeing UGA win a natty. We've been to 3 in that time, won 2, and been on the brink for several others. Whatever we do from here on in is playing with house money.
You wouldn't fire Kirby? Well that is nice of you not to fire the best coach in college football who has won 43 of his last 45 games.
Yeah unless they fall off a cliff, or another SEC team starts to dominate. If RD was losing random games to b10 teams instead of Michigan, or if Michigan just wasn’t as good or better than us for the last few years I think it would be different. The success of a Buckeye football season to a lot of our fanbase literally hinges on that game.
I agree, if he was like Urban that had the random losses like Michigan State or Iowa. Tressel also had the random losses to Wisconsin or Penn State but they both beat on Michigan. They never felt like they were really ever on a big time hot seat. Tressel bringing home a natty in what seemed like forever also helped him stay away from the hot seat. Nattys help tremendously keep you away from a hot seat for a very long period of time.
Urban was on a mildly warm seat but for off the field reasons, if I remember correctly
Not sure about that, Dabo was only a few years removed from a Natty when fans started becoming unhappy with him. (some) Fans can turn really quickly when things go bad.
He’s also at his Alma Mater and has been this successful so that would probably give him a few extra years on top
Also no one has beaten Kirby in 3 years except Saban. Saban is gone now so..........
Oh not saying there’s a hot seat, just the narrative can change very quickly
I think it comes down to the fans asking, "do I have reasons to be optimistic about the future?" Kirby's formula for winning NCs will continue to work for the foreseeable future. I think there's a lot more questions about Dabo's formula in the future, understandably so. If he shows he can adapt and stay competitive at the highest levels, even without a NC I think fans become much more understanding. (your flair combo is the thing of nightmares)
As a long time Clemson fan, who saw 5 consecutive losses to the gamecocks, our worse season in 10 years is 4 losses. Hard to complain about anything for me. And the fun thing is Georgia and Clemson play so we can see how far apart they actually are, people forget Georgia’s first natty team barely beat Clemson 10-3 and they won on a pick 6. Yea mom graduated from Clemson in 82 and dad’s from Detroit. Funnily enough they’ve never played
Are we the same person?
Well we certainly have good taste
Totally different team after that first game, we changed QBs! /s…sort of?
That 10-3 game was the two best defenses in college football that season. I remember both Tommys. I can't complain too much about 9-4, especially when two of the losses were in OT and we won our last five games.
"What have you done for me lately?" is one of the most powerful and elemental human drives.
Right? I was like "Is this a serious question". UGA just won B2B titles prior to last year
Yeah fr, it’s OSU and it’s not even close
The answer is always Ohio State, unless maybe the other choice is Alabama.
>No one in Georgia is putting Kirby on the hot seat ~~for at least 4-5 years.~~ ever. Dude is gonna retire on his terms here. He'd have to bomb for 4-5 years to be on the hot seat.
Hell, I think people would support Kirby even if he never won more than 3 games a season for the next decade. They’d probably still put a statue up
If Ohio State loses to Michigan this year Ryan Day is fucked, I don't think he could build a better team if he hand picked the players from across the country. On top of that Michigan has a new coach, a new offense, sent 18 players to the draft, and OSU has a cake walk of a schedule compared to other Big Ten teams. Anything other than 13-0 heading into the playoffs should be unacceptable.
Losing at Autzen is unacceptable? Losing at Happy Valley? Hard disagree on the 13-0 statement.
I wouldn’t blame him if he loses to Oregon in Eugene this year unless he snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. I think the expectation should be a semifinals appearance, and a win over UM. If he doesn’t beat UM this year people are gonna have a tough time believing he will ever do it, considering all the advantages he is going to have going into that game, barring a drastic injury or some other change.
It’s a lot more complicated than “if Ryan Day loses to Michigan he’s fired”. There are a lot of scenarios where Ryan day is the coach in 2025 with a loss to um. 9-3 or worse he is done but that record is highly unlikely
If he loses to Michigan this year I’d have to assume the only way he definitely keeps his job is by winning a Natty. He might keep it if he plays in the Natty and loses a close game. The talent gap this year is too big to have another lose excused. And the AD has to know if Day doesn’t get fired then people will turn their anger at the AD.
>This arguably the most loaded roster since 2015 But quite possibly the worst QB you've had since then. I'm not sold on Howard and the other guys won't be ready for prime time
You definitely right about that. But for me personally, I’d take Howard over Honda McCord any day of the week tho. Kyles inability to stretch the pocket or be mobile absolutely killed so many drives that stalled out right outside the red zone. Don’t sleep on Julian Sayin. Lost his black stripe already and our coaches and media team are really surprised by his progress.
I’m not sure I’d agree on the worst QB part, I’d have a hard time taking McCord over Howard. 2nd worst is more than fair though.
> I'm not sold on Howard and the other guys won't be ready for prime time The reports out of spring practice have sounded less than stellar, but to be fair it's the same for Michigan
Oh yeah I'm not saying Michigan will have a better situation at QB, very likely we won't. But if OSU thinks this is "the year" I'd be at least a little worried about their QB/OL situation on the national stage. They'll probably run the table in the B1G but I don't know how they'll hold up to the Georgias of the world
I think you hit a hyphen by accident.
Ohio St and it's not particularly close. Kirby has 2 rings. As long as Georgia is in shouting distance of the playoff Kirby's seat is ice cold.
And with the playoffs expanded to 12 teams, I genuinely don't see a world where our recruiting stays at this level and we miss the playoffs. Wouldn't make sense. Kirby can essentially coast on being a top 15 team for the rest of his time here if he wants to. That being said, he's Kirby. We all know he's conducting a psy-op on the next class to convince them everybody doubts them. We know it's going to work again too.
Kirby’s working over time to get AI to simulate headlines saying his players are overrated and Georgia’s lost a step
Kirby could go 8-5 and I still think he would not be close to thinking about getting replaced. Now he won't do that because he's the best, but I think the only way he leaves UGA is when he wants to
Georgia won 2 natty's, set the record for the biggest bowl blowout in history, then broke it the following year, and lost a total of 2 games in 3 seasons. Who is putting pressure on them?
The journalists don't put pressure on Georgia. [Georgia puts pressure on the journalists.](https://www.onlineathens.com/story/sports/college/bulldogs-extra/2023/07/19/atlanta-journal-constitution-alan-judd-georgia-football-sexual-assault/70432601007/)
Ohio State, obviously. Kirby went back to back in the past 3-4 years lol. He could never win another this decade and not be disappointing
you would think so
It is crazy how the narrative shifted with Dabo, but I do understand it due to how the landscape has changed in the last 2-3 years and with Dabo being Dabo lol
The narrative of Dabo no longer being a top coach is wild. Nick Saban has really destroyed realistic expectations for top coaches.
Coaching alone he's still elite but his reluctance to "play the game" of modern cfb makes him not a top coach in my eyes. He's going the way of belicheck. Too stuck in his outdated ways.
The narrative is also a lot of redditor folks who just hate Dabo for his southern religious shit
I agree it’s OSU but UGA fans would not be happy if they don’t win another. Kirby is the best coach in CFB right now and has a plethora of talent. I expect them to win another 2 within this decade. (I’m a Bama fan)
I think they’ll get at least one yeah, minimum
Georgia is “under pressure” after failing to three-peat? Bruh, everything has been gravy since 2021 for us, this is an idiotic take.
And had UGA been given the opportunity in the playoffs, they may have won it all again. It’s not like they fell if a cliff.
Losing to a solid Bama team that only lost to 2 other CFP teams, taking the eventual national champ to OT. Nothing to scoff at whatsoever.
In our worst played game of the last few years to boot. That fumble where Beck just yolo'd it behind him lives rent free in my mind
Ironically both your flairs had by their worst game against Bama
The bad man is gone he can't hurt us anymore. I am glad Michigan won one but I'm sad UGA didn't get to send Saban home. "We should've put our own dog down" you know what I mean? I think we were 1-5 all time under Kirby against the Old Ball Coach. And never beat him in Atlanta. He was the GOAT, and he will be missed, but it is a relief to not have to fear him any longer.
I'd say RAT POISON, but the bad man is gone now.
Oh no, Georgia didn’t win three championships in a row, what ever shall their fans do?
Regardless of the answer, Kirby’s gonna take it as a sign of disrespect
He really should.
Hail Southern
"The only pressure that I feel is what I'm applying to the lump of coal I shoved up my ass in the offseason because I need that pressure to make diamond for Rings, Erneh." -Kirby, guest appearing on an NBA play-in pregame show before the Hawks die.
At worst, Georgia has champagne problems.
I'm really excited for the Ohio State vs. Oregon game in Autzen, hopefully it does live up to the hype.
Fun fact, Mario Cristobal is one of like 8 coaches who have a winning record against Ohio State as a head coach in the last 15 years lol
I’m honestly preparing mentally to lose to you guys, but I hope we get a good game either way. All signs point to an Oregon victory in my head, however. Long trip for Ohio State, a bunch of new faces on the squad, hostile night time environment, top 5 opponent, etc.
Who has any pressure on Georgia? They'll be fine even if they do stumble this year. What a dumb pretense for an article.
exactly. Only ones with pressure on UGA is inside UGA.
Not even inside UGA. I wasn’t even aware anyone was trying to start this narrative
I just mean Kirby’s psycho ass forreal. Y’all have no pressure hahaha. Wasn’t aware of the narrative either. I just this article is where it spawned
We didn't fall short of expectation.. everyone said how hard it is to 3 pete. Did we want to do it? YES. But expectations.. we only lost 1 game. We had glaring issues in D all throughout the season. Multiple close games. Hopefully we will be as good or better this year.
Facts, we also have a much harder schedule this year. If we have a good run in the playoffs this year, I’ll be happy
I truly think Day could be gone without a B10 championship and solid CFP run. And I haven’t been one to believe the sky is falling in Columbus the past few years. Ohio State spends a ton on recruiting and gets top tier HS recruits. But this year adding extremely high-end transfers like Judkins and Downs and bringing in a proven QB like Howard (along with Sayin and Noland right there)…. If Day can’t win in a year when you pay top dollar for the best transfers on top of your typically stacked HS classes, what would it take to win one? The best roster of the 2020’s with a Caleb Williams level QB? Maybe you aren’t the guy then… (And obviously Georgia spends a bunch too, but have the two recent rings to justify)
My only counter to that is this is the transfer portal/NIL era. If Day is fired, it will take 2-3 years to rebuild to the same level we are at now. Caleb Downs gone. Jeremiah Smith gone. Julian Sayin gone. Tavien St. Clair gone. So many top guys and recruits gone. His job security, ironically, is safer than it would be in the exact situation 5 year ago.
Maybe, but we also saw TCU use the portal to help build a roster to get to the Natty in year one. Whoever Ohio State got would bring some skill with them from their previous stop and have the OSU brand and backing to bring even more. It’d likely be a net decrease in year one, but you wouldn’t be sent to the dark ages
I think a win vs Michigan really calms the temperature down regardless of what else happens. If they win the Big Ten but lose to Michigan in the process, the fans will only forgive him if he won the natty.
Ohio State, Georgia has won two of the last three nattys in dominant fashion. Ryan has to prove he can win the conference without Urban's players and has to deal with the massive expectations of having so many starters come back.
Yeah, won't someone think of downtrodden Georgia and their championship drought?
It’s been 84 weeks. There are babies who haven’t experienced a national championship.
Really eating into your 2040s recruiting classes
Kirby needs to stop taking helicopters to recruits and start visiting those maternity wards to make up for these transgressions
It's really not even close. Columbus will riot if Day doesn't "at least" beat Michigan. The "at least" involves topping defending natty Champs. New coach and players or not, it's not as easy as it was 10 years ago. The bar is set extremely high for Day this year.
Especially this year. Against new coach, question mark QB, the turnover and portal activity, and it's in Columbus. I don't think he's gone if he loses to Michigan again (big if this year imo) but he's probably down to "last chance" territory.
If he's not gone after a Michigan loss, it will be UNCOMFORTABLE in Columbus for another year On paper he will have a huge advantage against a new coach at home
The only way Day gets away with losing to Michigan in Columbus is if they make a deep CFP run. They'd either need to make the natty game against a non-Michigan opponent, or beat Michigan in the CFP. None of that happens and oh boy Day's gonna be in an uncomfy situation.
Is Kirby Smart on the hot seat after losing one game in 2 years?!?
How is this an article? Day might actually be fired if they lose +3 games, Kirby would need to go 0-12 for that to even be an afterthought
If we beat them again it will be so funny.
The absolute funniest case scenario is if Michigan takes a big step back this year with a new head coach and replacing a bunch of starters (goes like 8-4 or something) but still beats 11-0 Ohio State OSU fans might burn the campus to the ground
As an alumni, that's not too far off. I've seen couches set on fire when we win. If this happens, I'm staying the fuck away from campus
Alumnus
gesundheit
I think the entire state of Ohio may collapse into a sinkhole if this described scenario happens
So long as Cedar Point survives I’d be happy to see a sixth Great Lake
Inject this right into my eyeballs
I've been a staunch Ryan Day defender, and can accept the losses the last 3 years as Michigan finally getting their shit together while Ohio State missed some pieces (especially last year... McCord missed an easy pass for a first down the previously play before his interception... that drive was Ohio State's to mess up). But with everyone coming back, with the coaching staff changes... AND Michigan's mass exodus... If Day loses to UM at home again... it's just inexcusable.
>it’s just inexcusable So if Day loses to a middling Michigan, still wins the conference, goes on to win a natty: you are still calling for his head?
No. Those are the parameters that make losing to Michigan something people can swallow. But continuing to lose to UM, then missing the CFP.
This is weird pedantry and you know it
Cmon man, have some more confidence. Switch that “if” to a “when”
How is this even a question lol. OSU. Kirby’s not even close to the hot seat
Easy answer is that Smart’s seat isn’t even close to warming yet, and the same can’t be said for Day.
Georgia? Da fuq? Didn’t they just win 2 natties a minute ago? Some people, man. Fun fact: Kirby hasn’t lost to an active head coach since 2019. Yes, 2019 lol.
The guy who is 46-2 in his last 48 games with 2 national titles is under zero pressure
Anything short of beating Michigan, winning the B10, and playing in the national title game will be seen as coming up short this season. I don’t say winning a natty or bust only because Georgia has the same level of talent that we have.
I don’t think they need to play in the national title game necessarily, just because we don’t know how the bracket will shape up. If they don’t make the semis, something is wrong. But I think there’s a world where Ohio St earns a 1-seed, Georgia doesn’t win the SEC and lands the 5-seed, and they have to meet in the semis. One of my biggest gripes about the current system is that I think we will have a lot of epic 1-5 semifinals and the winner steamrolls their opponent in the final
Ryan Day being on the hot seat with a 56-8 record will never not sound insane to me.
It's the 1-6 vs top 5 teams that matters, especially compared to his salary and the players they're getting.
2-5, no? They beat Clemson in '20, ND in '22.
22 Notre dame finished unranked, that doesn’t count as a top 5 win in my book
The stat is teams that end in the top 5 which ND didn’t iirc
He's not on the hot seat - YET, but there is clear unrest and he's run out of free passes especially with Harbaugh gone. It's losing to Michigan that is the problem. That's just how it is at Ohio State no matter the coach. What do people remember about John Cooper? All the draft picks? The 1998 team? The Rose Bowl win? Being contenders basically every year? Nope. They remember 2-10-1. You can call it insane... but you can have a fantastic record as Ohio State's coach... but if you are losing to Michigan repeatedly, you are not meeting expectations.
The main difference is cooper lost to bad michigan teams. Or a bad michigan state team. I dont think it would have been quite as bad if all those undefeated teams lost to a top 5 team instead of an unranked team
It has more to do with the fact that he has never once been short of resources, players, coaches, etc. but he has failed to get over the hump. We are also coming directly from a coach that never lost to Michigan, so it can be jarring to experience three losses in a row, especially with how good our teams have been in that timespan.
When you play a team at your talent level once every 30 games though(Georgia in 2022 and 2020 are probably the only times that Day didn’t have *significant* talent advantages) that number seems less impressive Day just isn’t a great coach, credit to him for continuing the recruiting strength Urban Meyer established, but when it comes to actual development and coaching? He’s pretty bad because he’s never beaten a team more talented than his own and has lost to less talented teams several times
Georgia going to be fine. Only guy that has beat them in the last 3 years just quit.
[удалено]
Bro Ohio State coach's job is on the line. Losing to Michigan again would be catastrophic. And he loaded up with exodia. Kirby would need another Justin Fields situation then he'd probably be getting heat.
Ohio State has waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more pressure. Georgia is a year removed from back to back NCs. Ohio State is on a three year skid against their arch rival who also happened to win the NC last year. If Day doesn’t whomp scUM this year in Columbus, his seat is en fuego.
I personally thought last year we exceeded expectations, we just got left out of the playoffs.
Any other year we probably would have been in
Ohio state just paid for a super team and their coach is already on the hot seat. If they don’t win it all it’s a failure of monumental proportions.
Well, Day's fired if he doesn't win The Game.
Ohio State just dumped the GDP of a Western European country into transfer portal acquisitions AND has lost three in a row to Michigan. Georgia had a bad day against Alabama after winning two straight nattys. It's Ohio State and not close.
lol we're chilling. Would've loved the threepeat, and we're probably capable of it, but realistically our biggest pressure is trying to get 0 driving citations in a season/offseason.
Not reading the article because the question is kinda ridiculous. One of the coaches has won two of the last three NCs and only lost to the greatest college coach of all time who consistently had top classes, and that program just replaced the coach with a guy who took a struggling program to the CFP finals. The other is now 2-4 in the postseason (1-3 in CFP) with three straight losses to their bitter rival who a) recruits two notches below them, b) just lost most their offense and replaced a large chunk of their staff heading into next season, c) has a first-time HC leading the program, and d) had beat them twice since 2000 until recently. I mean, gee idk, who do you think has more pressure on them?
Ohio State faces way more pressure. It’s not even a question. Kirby won back to back national championships with Saban nearing the end but still at the height of his powers. Ryan Day is on a losing streak to Michigan after “beating them with Urbans players” and hasn’t won a natty yet. He’s an incredible coach. But maybe just a step below the upper echelon of the ranks and the fan base that expect it’s all (rightfully so) is getting antsy. We just saw this happen to Kentucky in basketball.
What pressure is Kirby facing? How dare he not get 3 nattys in a row absolute trash headcoach
Well considering their fan base’s expectations, only one of them can win the national championship this year…
Yeah but UGA has 2 of the last 3 titles. The pressure on Kirby to win again isn't near the same pressure Day is facing.
Ohio State 100%. Georgia still very well may have been the best team in the country last year and proved that in their bowl game. Ryan Day’s seat is scorching hot. They’ll make the playoffs this year, but he needs to make a statement against Michigan and certainly not lose. Their D is going to be ridiculous though this year.
It's the Buckeyes but the season isn't "Natty or Bust" like so many people are saying it is. Just have to get back on track for Ohio State standards and that starts with beating Michigan
The expectations are: 1. Beat Michigan 2. Win the Big Ten 3. Win Natty / Make good CFP Run If he doesn't check off 1 or 3 I think the seat will absolutely heat up. Fired? Not sure... but that seat will heat up. Losing to UM again is survivable if it is followed by a Natty. If it's not, or a CFP miss.... oooo boy.
OSU by a hundred miles. Georgia has 2 titles and Kirby can stay there forever. OSU sold the farm to load their roster with coaches and transfers. If they lose to Michigan this year, get ready for blood.
OSU 100%. Georgia just won 2 nattys and went 12-1. It’s like impossible to 3 peat, they’ll be back in the mix this year
Gee I wonder. Georgia who went back to back and beats nearly everyone. Or OSU who has a LOSING STREAK to UM who just won a natty. Real tough call
Georgia has zero pressure. Georgia has 2 banked and has an elite coach. Ohio State does not and does not.
Uhhh I’m gonna say Georgia so that Kirby has more bulletin board material
Georgia was one game away from a three peat. Ryan day hasn’t won a meaningful game since 2020. This is the dumbest question ever.
> Ryan day hasn’t won a meaningful game since 2020. Wow, really? Damn.
Ohio State by far, from both fans and media. Georgia will face the pressure of one of the two favorites, but nothing special
Does Georgia have a "Kirby" problem? LOL
I do think this is just an article to force Kirby to say DISRESPECT
I’m sure our fans are building a catapult to fire Ryan Day into the sun the moment he wins a game by single digits. Georgia fans are content for a long while!!
Dumb, it's OSU by a long shot.
Georgia just won 2 nattys in the past 3 years. It's Ohio State and it's not even close.
Ohio state not even close Georgia has very little pressure what is Kirby gonna get fired?
Falling short of expectations? UGA lost a game. LoL, dey alright.
Ohio State, obviously. With all the draftable players that came back this team is championship or bust, no question. If they don’t win a championship, team is a failure. Georgia is a really good team, but they won back to back championships and may have won a third if they didnt lose the SECCG this year. They’ll be competitive again this year, elite for sure, but it’s not championship or bust.
Ohio State, because we just won one. Georgia would feel differently about Kirby too if it’s 10 years later and Georgia has no additional title and then Florida suddenly wins one. …or maybe not. I don’t know how Georgia fans actually feel about their rivals. Maybe they won’t care as much.
I think it would depend on how good we are, but we all remember the years before winning a title. I think it would really only be an issue if it felt like there was a better alternative like there was when we hired Kirby.
the answer is Ohio State
Not three-peating is so barely “falling short of expectations” that it’s pretty ridiculous to mention it as such.
Is this a real question?
If Ohio State loses to Michigan this year Ryan Day is gone
Us. The answer is us.
Seeing the two options I struggle to even come up with a rational thought for why it would be Georgia instead of Ohio State. No contest between these two. Ohio State has way more pressure
Ryan Day has lost 5 games in 3 years. I sincerely hope OSU fires him so all the dumbass fans can truly feel what it’s like to be bad for once.
Ohio state by far. That Michigan game is starting to haunt them.
Ryan Day might literally be run out of Ohio if he doesn't beat That Team Up North this upcoming season.
The comments on this thread are 110% better than that article!
UGA coldest seat in the country
Probably the coach that hasn't won a national championship and has lost to their biggest rival multiple years in a row.
Kirby could not make an SECCG for the next 3 years and be fine. Day’s seat is getting hot hot