7 Power Four programs that would hire Ryan Day in a heartbeat if Ohio State fired him

Be careful what you wish for, Buckeye Nation. Today may be a great day to fire head coach Ryan Day, but there is still a national championship to play for, we think. After losing to the Michigan Wolverines for the fourth year in a row, Ohio State is 10-2 (7-2) on the season heading into championship weekend. They will not be going to Indianapolis, as a team who they beat in Penn State finished 11-1.

While all signs point to the Buckeyes probably making the College Football Playoff as an at-large team, how sure are we that Day will be leading them for all that much longer? He may have run his course in Columbus, but he would be hired immediately by several other Power Four teams if he were to become available. I would be utterly shocked if Day had to go the coordinator route for a season.

So what I want to do today to set the coaching carousel really into gear is rattle off several Power Four teams who would hire Day immedately if he was let go by Ohio State. Replacing Day is easier said than done, but he would be a no-brainer hire at roughly seven Power Four schools who either need a new head coach already, or are probably going to need one before we get to the new year.

Day can have a ton of success as a college head coach, but maybe get out of that pressure cooker.

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7. North Carolina Tar Heels

North Carolina was one of two Power Four openings heading into December. The Tar Heels essentially forced Mack Brown out because he refused to retire. It was a difficult situation, but one that needed to happen. North Carolina will be looking to hire someone who is either innovative offensively or a great CEO-type that can recruit. In a way, Ryan Day checks both of those boxes.

While one could argue that North Carolina may be the best job that could potentially open up in this cycle, outside of Ohio State, of course, I have a feeling that the Tar Heels would drag their feet when it came to potentially hiring a rockstar candidate like Day. Look for them to go with an up-and-comer, either a Group of Five head coach or a hotshot coordinator. Day feels like too big of a fish for them.

Hiring Day would change the paradigm in Chapel Hill, but I am not the least bit counting on that.

6. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue should have never hired Ryan Walters. He may have been Bret Bielema's rockstar offensive coordinator at Illinois, but he has proven to be in way over his head. Purdue was the worst team in the Power Four this year at 1-11. The Boilermakers can no longer score points. He needs to go yesterday. Obviously, Mike Bobinski would hire Day in less than a heartbeat, but we all know Day could do better.

However, Day does check a few boxes that would be ideal for the next Purdue head coach. He is a savvy offensive mind, one who knows how to recruit and win in the Big Ten. Purdue is probably on the other end of the spectrum from Ohio State when it comes to resources in the Big Ten. I think if he were to somehow take over in West Lafayette that Purdue could be seven wins better in year one.

Purdue is completely lifeless as a program under Walters, so at this time, anything is an improvement.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats

This would be highly controversial, but one I could somewhat get behind. Now that Cincinnati is in the Power Four, the Bearcats job is far more appealing. Unlike the man getting paid millions to do whatever he does at Nippert Stadium in Scott Satterfield, Day can actually coach. More importantly, he would go to a far easier conference without having to leave the fertile recruiting grounds of Ohio.

Day would take the Bearcats from a sub-.500 team under Satterfield into a perennial Big 12 title contender overnight. The power void still exists in this league, so Day being boosted up by The Kelce Brothers money could help transform the Bearcats program once again. I like this as a potential landing spot if he gets fired, but you do have to realize how optically terrible it looks backsliding here.

If Day is willing to swallow his pride if he were ousted at Ohio State, I would take a good look at UC.

4. Maryland Terrapins

If Day were to be out in Columbus, the best potential landing spot for him in the Big Ten might actually be Maryland. Not only do they have Under Armour money, but The DMV is quite the hotbed for recruiting. Maryland is a sleeping giant in the Big Ten, waiting for the day for the right man to take over. I think Day could have even greater success at Maryland than Ralph Friedgen did of yesteryear.

As it is with Purdue, Day already knows what it takes to win at a high level in the Big Ten. While Maryland may be at a resource deficit when compared to Ohio State, because everyone is, it should not be this painfully difficult to have the Terrapins winning eight or nine games a year and vying for a playoff berth in this expanded format every once in a while. Day could be Maryland's Steve Spurrier.

The upside of winning big at a place at Maryland far exceeds the downside, as this is a decent job.

3. UCF Knights

UCF wants to sustain a winning football program so badly. Over the years, the Knights have had their fair share of great head coaches. From George O'Leary, to Scott Frost, to Josh Heupel, to most recently Gus Malzahn, those are all names when it comes high-end college football coaching. Frost may have bombed at Nebraska, but Day would be even better than what any of them were in Orlando.

UCF may be at a travel disadvantage in the new Big 12, but the Knights are still Power Four and located in the State of Florida. If the resources come in, UCF can take advantage of the power void at the top of the Big 12. I have a feeling that UCF will win at least nine games by year two if they hire the right successor to replace Gus Malzahn. Day may be above this job, but I think he might consider it.

Malzahn was thought to be above the UCF gig until he was ousted after a winning season at Auburn.

2. West Virginia Mountaineers

How serious are the West Virginia Mountaineers about being a college football program worth caring about? They need to move on from Neal Brown yesterday. The longer he stays employed, the more and more he tears away at the fabric of what makes this one-of-a-kind program special. Day is not going to be coming into Morgantown looking to push snake oil; he is going to be looking for wins!

If Day were to be let go by Ohio State, he should immediately leapfrog everyone on Wren Baker's wish list. Landing Day would be the best thing to happen to West Virginia football since landing Pat White out of high school. I would have no doubts over Day's ability to get West Virginia back to the glory days of Rich Rodriguez football and the impressive Don Nehlen era before that. It would be amazing.

West Virginia may not be the sleeping giant of other programs, but it is one head coaches all respect.

1. Kentucky Wildcats

This would be the one job that would send shockwaves throughout college football. There are only two candidates worthy of firing Mark Stoops for if you are Mitch Barnhart. While you could take a smart, bases-clearing double by hiring one of your own in Jon Sumrall away from Tulane, you could be hitting a 500-foot grand slam by hiring Day. This would feel akin to Ole Miss hiring Lane Kiffin.

Big Blue Nation loves this team. While the Wildcats have had relative success under Stoops, they often devolved into the SEC equivalent of Stoops' alma mater of Iowa. By hiring Day, Kentucky would be telling the rest of the college football world that the Wildcats are ready to be playing serious football games with playoff implications in November forever going forward. This is a game-changer!

Day to the SEC would make great coaches across the league have to pay attention to Kentucky now.