5 Ryan Day replacements Ohio State fans should beg for after another Michigan loss

2. Mike Vrabel might be the top target to return to Ohio State

Speaking of Ohio State legacies, that's going to lead a lot of people to look the way of Mike Vrabel.

Before he began his NFL playing career and eventually becoming a Patriots legend along with a three-time Super Bowl champion, Vrabel played his college football with the Buckeyes. Following the conclusion of his playing career, he then joined Luke Fickell's staff for the 2011 season as the OSU linebackers coach. He stayed on Urban Meyer's staff for two more seasons thereafter before heading back to the NFL.

After three seasons as a Texans assistant and one as the defensive coordinator, he became the Tennessee Titans head coach in 2018 and has served in that role since. Over that time, he has a 51-41 overall record in Nashville, including going 2-3 in the playoffs. More impressive is he's done this with Derrick Henry and a lot of revolving parts.

With the Titans currently in a period of transition, though, Vrabel's future is uncertain. That might not be fair to him, though, given the way he's made truly the best out of some questionable situations since he took over as head coach. But if he is indeed on his way out, then Ohio State would be foolish to not make the call if they need to replace Day.

Vrabel is intimately familiar with Ohio State as both a player and an assistant, particularly notable for his work with Meyer and the success that was had then. If he could come back home to Columbus and deploy many of those same strategies, it could be a home run hire, especially with his proven ability as an NFL head coach.