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

1. Lane Kiffin could be a home-run Ryan Day replacement at Ohio State

Because of how things went for Lane Kiffin at Tennessee and then at USC, there has seemingly long been a bit of a cloud hanging over the current Ole Miss coach. But what some people often appear to overlook is that being Tarmac'd can change a man, sometimes for the better.

For Kiffin, that does appear to be the case. Yes, he's a showman who is never afraid of some antics. However, amid all of the "Get your popcorn ready" type of quotes, he's become a proven winner. His offenses at Alabama were electric and dominant, he produced two 10+ win seasons in three years at FAU, and has won 10 games at Ole Miss in two of the past three years with a 33-15 overall record for the Rebels, legitimately unprecedented regular-season success in Oxford.

What's important to note about all of that too is that he's made the most out of limited situations. The recruiting and resources at FAU are limited in comparison to Power 5 jobs, just as Ole Miss is behind some of the SEC elites in their resources. And while he hasn't gotten the Rebels on that level, he's been nipping at their heels at the top of the second tier of late.

Now imagine a more matured Lane Kiffin than we saw at USC and Tennessee with the resources that Ohio State can offer. He's an offensive wizard with an eye for talent, an aggressive, analytics-friendly mindset, a strong recruiting pedigree, and a willing participant in the transfer portal to find roster upgrades. It almost sounds like he's a better version of Ryan Day...

There might be only a select few jobs that could lure Kiffin away from Ole Miss, but the prestige of Ohio State would be one of them. If there truly is any chance of Ryan Day no longer being the head coach of the Buckeyes, then Lane Kiffin should be the first (and second, and third) call that the administration makes to replace him.