IT IS NOT TIME TO SEND RYAN DAY PACKING

Following Ohio State's loss to Oregon, a lot has been made about Ryan Day and his inability to win "big games" (in quotes because people have their own definition of big games, though truthfully it's pretty evident which ones are) and, going forward, taking the Buckeyes to their stated goal of a national title. 

Day is in his sixth full season in Columbus, which seems like a long time but really is not. The coaching business has changed, with fans expecting results sooner, and with transfers now a big part of the equation it is possible to boost a program to the top much quicker than in prior years. OSU fans who have skepticism seem to think that if Day was going to win a title, it would have happened already. But that's not the way it works. 

Some of the all-time greatest coaches took a long time to nab their first crown. Only Barry Switzer at Oklahoma and Pete Carroll at USC were able to break through in rapid fashion. Switzer won in his second year as a head coach at any college level, and Carroll took three years (though had a lot of NFL experience). Most of the others took quite awhile to grab their first national title, as the following numbers show. 

Kirby Smart (6th year as HC/6th at Georgia) 

Urban Meyer (6th year as HC/2nd at Florida) 

Jim Tressel (6th year as HC/6th at Youngstown State)

Woody Hayes(9th year as HC/4th at Ohio State) 

Jimmy Johnson (9th year as HC/4th at Miami) 

Dabo Swinney (9th year as HC/9th at Clemson) 

Nick Saban (10th year as HC/3rd at LSU)

Darrell Royal (10th year as HC/7th at Texas) 

Steve Spurrier (10th year as HC/7th at Florida) 

Ara Parseghian (11th year as HC/3rd at Notre Dame)

Jim Harbaugh (16th year as HC/9th at Michigan) 

Bear Bryant (17th year as HC/4th at Alabama) 

Tom Osborne (22nd year as HC/22nd at Nebraska) 

Bobby Bowden (28th year as HC/18th at Florida State) 

It's a good thing for a lot of these coaches that they weren't coming up today, because many probably wouldn't have had the chance to stick around long enough to win a natty. To say someone can't win a title just because they haven't is silly. They can't until they do. Most of the coaches on this list were probably derided by their fanbase as being unable to win the big one, to bring home the brass ring. Until they did. 

It is possible that Ryan Day isn't the guy to bring a title to Ohio State. But here's the thing -- that's impossible to say after one loss (by a single point) on the road to an excellent team, in an expanded CFP, with all of the Buckeyes' goals still attainable. If Ohio State loses another on the way then maybe that kind of talk can heat up. 

One current coach who has followed kind of the same trajectory and was bashed as someone who couldn't get it done is Steve Sarkisian at Texas. While he hasn't made that ultimate breakthrough, the Longhorns are once again relevant and seem ready for the long haul. Sark is in his 11th season and has a club that is more than just a small threat to win it all. Yet it wasn't that long ago that he was laughed at by outside fanbases, that Texas was going to continue in the malaise it had been in since Mack Brown left. 

Ohio State has not been in any kind of malaise under Day -- hell, the Buckeyes played for the national title in 2020 (yeah, it was a wacky year with Covid). You learn the most about a team following adversity, and the Buckeyes have a full week off before they get ready for another game. We'll see whether there is championship mettle with this bunch, from Day on down to the players. I am confident there will still be calls for his head -- with no definitive upgrade presented -- and that's fine. Fans can fan however they want to. But it should be noted that expectations don't always jibe with reality.

Top-ranked Bulldogs To Be Tested At No. 10 Auburn

November in the SEC is a showcase, and there's nothing bigger this weekend than No. 1 Georgia heading to The Plains to take on 10th-ranked Auburn.

The Bulldogs (9-0, 6-0) have already clinched the SEC East, its first divisional title since 2012, while Auburn (7-2, 5-1) has a chance to take the SEC West crown and, maybe, nab a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Tigers have Alabama in a few weeks, and a win there and then a win in the SEC title game against Georgia could make Auburn the first ever two-loss team in the playoffs.

But Auburn cannot get ahead of itself.

Auburn's Kerryon Johnson is one of America's best running backs (Gridiron Now)

"I think you have to embrace the fact that you are playing the No. 1 or No. 2 team in the country on your home field," Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said. "Our goal is to win the SEC championship, and it has been since day one. This is the next step. It is a great opportunity for us, so it is a big game. We are not looking any farther ahead than Saturday, but this is a game we have been looking forward to, and it is here. There is a lot on the line. It is a good one."

Georgia, which is top five nationally in total defense and scoring defense, faces its biggest challenge to date -- a victory at Notre Dame notwithstanding. The Bulldogs more than doubled Auburn's yardage in last year's contest, but won just 13-7 and failed to score an offensive touchdown.

Auburn has lost two of the last three meetings at home, but Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart doesn't think that will make any difference at all.

"It's the same challenge it is at most SEC place, just a little bit louder. They have a good team," Smart said. "The better the team is, the tougher the place to play is. their fans get loud, get rowdy -- they are there pregame until the end and there have been some really loud moments playing in that stadium. I would not expect it to be any different on Saturday."

Auburn's only losses to date are to Clemson and LSU, the latter seeing the Tigers blow a 20-0 lead before falling 27-23. Since that game Auburn has exploded offensively, putting up 94 points and over 1,000 yards in wins over Arkansas and Texas A&M.

The Tigers want to get it done on the ground, with Kerryon Johnson the chief weapon. The junior has nearly 900 yards and has scored 15 touchdowns in seven games, and provides a bullish yet surprisingly nimble weapon in the backfield. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham has also improved his play, completing 72 percent of his throws in the last two contests.

Smart believes that if the Bulldogs can stop Johnson, they are in good position to win the game.

"At the end of the day he can go where he wants to with the ball," Smart said of Kerryon Johnson. "He has great speed. He gets a lot out of his runs. Last year against us he bounced out, he broke out and does a good job doing that. They know the defenses we are going to play. Gus has seen them for seven or eight years, it seems. we know the plays they are going to run. They are not going to reinvent the wheel. We have to go out there and play blocks, tackle the man with the ball and not give up big plays."

Georgia has been good in that aspect all season, allowing just 3.06 yards per rush and four touchdowns on the ground and just 21 runs of 10-19 yards in 2017 in 262 rush attempts.

Auburn has athletes, but thinking you can make plays and actually doing it, especially against a defense as lethal as Georgia's has been this year, is another story.

"You have to figure out ways to do it (big plays)," Malzahn said. "that's the challenge. When they can stop the run and still play two safeties, it's tough. You have to be balanced. The more talented a defensive team is, the more important it is to be balanced."

Like Auburn, Georgia will want to control the clock with its ground game. The Bulldogs are eighth in the country running the ball, and though Nick Chubb and Sony Michel get the headlines, Georgia is four deep in the backfield.

Georgia QB Jake Fromm has been steady as a freshman (Online Athens)

Auburn is nearly as grudging on the ground defensively as Georgia, allowing 3.34 yards per carry, so Georgia may need to pass a little more than it is accustomed to. That means more of the onus is on freshman quarterback Jake Fromm, who thus far has been superb, but hasn't been asked to win a game.

Fromm has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes in Georgia's last three games, with five touchdowns and just two interceptions. He's third in the country in passing efficiency and doesn't mind taking shots downfield, averaging 9.7 yards per attempt.

The last two times Auburn defeated Georgia -- 2010 and 2013 -- it played for the national championship. The last three seasons have seen no more than eight victories, so this game could prove to be redemptive for the Tigers. 

 Malzahn recalls how close his team was last year, and would love to replace that memory.

"Last year was an extremely tough loss -- the fact they won the game and didn't score an offensive touchdown," Malzahn said. "This is one we have been waiting on. I know our players and coaches are excited about it because we are playing one of the best teams on our home field."

This is just the fourth road contest of the season for Georgia, and first since an early October pasting of Vanderbilt.

The victory over Notre Dame was great, but also happened before we knew what the Irish really was.

This one will prove if the Bulldogs are for real.

"They get loud in there and do a really good job of creating an environment," Smart said. "They feed off of that. So the challenges are in front of us. We will find out a lot about this team playing on the road."

Mississippi State Out To Prove To Georgia It Is For Real

 Two sets of Bulldogs, on different sides of the conference, looking to prove they have the bite to stick around all season.

 That is what is in store when 17th-ranked Mississippi State heads to Athens to take on No. 11 Georgia this Saturday. Mississippi State (3-0) is coming off of a 37-7 domination of LSU, while Georgia ran all over FCS foe Samford, 42-14, getting 131 yards and two touchdowns from running back Nick Chubb.

 The teams have played just four times in the 2000s, with Georgia winning three. That includes a 24-10 victory at home in 2011, but both teams are living in the now, not in the past.

 "As far as where we are, I think playing a team like this this week will tell us a lot," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "It's hard to say. I'm not going to sit here and say we've arrived, because I don't think that's the case. I think we've improved. I think we have to continue to improve to beat the teams we have on our schedule."

Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald has made Mississippi State's offense lethal (Clarion Ledger)

 Going on the road is never easy, especially in SEC play. But Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen believes his charges are ready -- or hopes so, anyway. 

 "We’ve got this tough challenge right now, going on the road playing in a tough environment against an excellent football team," Mullen said "It’s a different environment. Last week, we had our home SEC opener with a different level of play and a different style of game from our first two games. This week coming back, it’s our first SEC road game, which adds different challenges to the picture. The environment, the crowd noise – all those things are a little bit different. 

 "We don’t play Georgia very often. It’s only the third time since I’ve been head coach here that we’re going to be playing Georgia. We won’t be playing them again for another seven years after this. There’s some uniqueness in it." 

 A pair of young quarterbacks will be in the crosshairs, Nick Fitzgerald for Mississippi State and, most likely, Jake Fromm for Georgia (3-0).

 Fitzgerald burst onto the scene as a sophomore last season, rushing for nearly 1400 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns -- and reminding fans in Starkville more than just a little bit of predecessor Dak Prescott. Fitzgerald was inconsistent throwing the football, completing just 54 percent of his passes. He's been a bit more precise this season, hitting nearly 61 percent, with eight touchdowns and just one interception.

 “Decision making comes down to the processing of information, how fast you can process it and how comfortable you are on the field," Mullen said. "You’re really starting to see him process it and take what the defense gives him. A lot of times with young quarterbacks, what will happen is we’ll practice something and they’ll expect a look. When it doesn’t happen that exact same way, it’s almost like they wish it to happen that way, and they’re going to throw it. As they mature, when things don’t turn out exactly the way we practiced, are you still making good decisions? You see it, and you just take what the defense gives you. He’s maturing that way.”

 While more disciplined with his arm, it is Fitzgerald's legs that will get the job done more often than not. He already has 240 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, and he's found a backfield companion in junior tailback Aeris Williams, who has 336 yards and a score.

 Smart knows the challenge his defense -- which is allowing just 4.1 yards per play, one of the best figures in the country -- faces with Fitzgerald.

 "He's unbelievably competitive, physical, big," Smart said. "A guy with good size, dimensions, has the ability to throw the ball, but can run. Nick played in a little bit of a different offense at high school. He's developed as a quarterback. To see him this year compared to all the games we watched last year in the off-season, he's one of the most vastly improved players because he's not one-dimensional any more. He was really a runner last year. That's not the case. I saw that same growth with Dak Prescott during his time at Mississippi State."

 Georgia faced Brandon Wimbush of Notre Dame, who is also a dual threat quarterback, but that's where the similarities end.

"I think Wimbush and Nick are very different type guys," Smart said. "Nick is a unique quarterback with his length, ability to see over. He's a lot faster than you think, deceptively. He doesn't look as if, when you talk to people that played him, he's running real fast, but he is. I think that's different. Wimbush had a little bit more quick twitch. This kid is long and fast. When you get loose on him, you see him running away from SEC defenses. You didn't see that with Wimbush. They didn't play SEC defenses. This guy has gone up against the kind of defenses we've had repeatedly. He's faced that a bunch. He's a good player. We're excited for the opportunity to compete against him."

 Fromm tossed three touchdown passes against Samford in his first home start and showed more poise than he did against Notre Dame, when he appeared rattled at times.

 Incumbent starter Jacob Eason returned to practice on Wednesday and could be ready to go, so Mississippi State might not know until game time which quarterback it will face. Realistically, Fromm seems like the safer bet as he has gained momentum by the week, but Smart wasn't tipping his hand.

 Georgia's defense is no slouch, allowing just 4.01 yards per play and has given up just four touchdowns in three contests. Linebacker Roquan Smith leads the way with 19 stops, while linebacker Lorenzo Carter has tallied three sacks in the last two games. 

 While people talk about Mississippi State's offense, the defense is a big reason the Bulldogs are unbeaten and trending up.

Stopping Georgia RB Nick Chubb will be a primary concern for Mississippi State (USAToday)

 MSU allows just 2.57 yards per carry and has given up just two touchdowns on the ground. Chubb is big-time, though Georgia could without Sony Michel, who sat out the Samford game with an ankle injury suffered against Notre Dame. Mississippi State is also grudging on third down, allowing just 21.4 percent conversions, and hopes to get Georgia off the field so that it cannot crank up its ground attack.

 Todd Grantham, who comes over from Louisville and was Georgia's defensive coordinator from 2010-13, runs that side of the ball for the Mississippi State, and has always been known for having active stop units.

 This one is no different, as safety Mark McLaurin (19 tackles) and star J.T. Gray (15) like to press up to the line of scrimmage to keep opponents from finding cutback lanes. The emergence of sophomore nose man Jeffery Simmons (17 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 2 blocked kicks) allows the back seven to play a bit more freely, as the front can get to the quarterback with four guys.

 "I think Todd does a tremendous job," Smart said. "He's very smart, very knowledgeable, knows how to attack protections. He's a guy that's constantly working on getting better. He's got these guys believing and playing really hard, really physical. Got some good players. Got some big guys up front. They're playing hard. He's got some fast guys. They just seem like they have a lot of guys they play."

 Mississippi State is one of the younger teams in the SEC, so to be on the verge of really contending in the conference this soon is nothing short of amazing.

 Mullen has recruited well during his eight full seasons in Starkville, but it's not just about talent.

 “We constantly talk about building the depth of guys being ready for when their opportunity comes," Mullen said. "We’ve tried to grow and build that depth. Guys are taking advantage of their opportunities. We’re a young team. There’s a lot of young players on this team. There’s not a senior on the defensive line, and yet you’re going to add some guys next year.”

 Mississippi State has a tall task ahead, as it hasn't won in Athens since 1956. Now is a chance to prove they aren't just bark, but also bite.

Irish, Bulldogs Seek Legitimacy As Showdown Looms

Brandon Wimbush gives Notre Dame a dual threat at quarterback

 The last (and only) time Notre Dame and Georgia faced off in a football game, Ronald Reagan was president, Charles and Diana has just gotten married and Raiders of the Lost Ark was riding high at the box office.

 The Bulldogs were coming off of the 1980 national championship (beating the Irish in the Sugar Bowl), and Notre Dame was beginning one of its darkest eras, a five year stretch with Gerry Faust as head coach. He would go 30-26-1, and amass the lowest winning percentage of any ND coach who spent at least five years in charge. Both programs were relevant back then, though their fan bases will tell you that both are still relevant today -- which is debatable.

 What isn't debatable is that this is an intriguing contest between two ranked teams, currently a bit under the radar but with talent and expectations to make an ascent in the rankings.

 Georgia coach Kirby Smart likes the attention the game brings, though he admitted to not seeing very much of the Irish in the last couple of seasons.

 "I think these kinds of games in college football are really cool because you get to go play somebody that you don't normally play," Smart said. "It's just weird for me because you're familiar with your conference players."

 Both squads have new quarterbacks, the Irish by plan and the Bulldogs by injury.

 Notre Dame's Brandon Wimbush was a standout in the Irish victory over Temple, throwing for 184 and two touchdowns and rushing for 106 yards and another score. While Irish coach Brian Kelly doesn't necessarily look for dual threat quarterbacks, he said he does like the idea of having a player who can put pressure on a defense a variety of ways.

 Smart noticed Wimbush's performances and knows that his defense will have to be on point to slow him down.

 "Brandon Wimbush is an explosive athlete," Smart said. "He looks as fast as any player on their team. They do a very good job of the RPO system. They run downhill at you, and they are as good looking an offensive line as you will ever play."

 Wimbush wasn't the only player causing headaches against Temple, though.

 Running back Josh Adams exploded for 161 yards and two scores, and 6-5 wideout Equanimeous St. Brown had four grabs for 80 yards and a touchdown. He is a freakish athlete, one who gives the 24th-ranked Irish a deep threat and gives opposing defenses headaches.

 Notre Dame notched 11 tackles for loss against the Owls, and got some push from its defensive line, which is a change from years past. Mike Elko has changed the attitude and technique of the front, and they are now more aggressive at firing off the ball instead of merely occupying blockers and allowing the linebackers to clean things up.

 Kelly knows the Irish play a grueling schedule every season, but having not faced Georgia before personally, and the school only playing them once, makes for an exciting evening.

 "This the great part about being an independent football team in that you get these kinds of games, getting a chance to play against a team that's regarded as one of the very best in the SEC," Kelly said. "So our guys are excited about the challenge and looking forward to Saturday night."

 Kelly would love for his team to control the line of scrimmage the way it did against Temple, but knows that could be a tougher task as No. 15 Georgia's athletes are a notch or two above what the Owls have. But it isn't just the talent that Kelly notices.

"They like to play the four I defense, which causes some problems with your schemes and combinations," Kelly said. "Two gap noses. They like to move the fronts around, which causes some problems up front. So it frees up linebackers to run and hit. So what it is about his defense is that when you have four linebackers, you've got guys running off the edges. They can get to you off the edge as well as moving the front around. When you're in three down you can easily play three down and four down from week to week. There is that ability to morph into what you want to be. That in itself allows him a lot of creativity."

Georgia, which had an easy time in a win over Appalachian State, may need to lean on that defense due to an injury suffered by incumbent quarterback Jacob Eason. He will not go in this game, which means heralded freshman Jake Fromm will make his first collegiate start, in one of the most hallowed of all playing fields. It will be a step up from the opener, where he went 10 of 15 for 143 yards and a touchdown, and looked poised and mature leading the offense to three first-half touchdowns.

Georgia freshman Jake Fromm will be under the microscope against Notre Dame

 While he possesses a big arm, Fromm may not be asked to do too much.

 And why would he, when he has possibly the best 1-2 backfield punch in America?

 "Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, they are elite backs," Kelly said. "I mean, you're going to see two guys that will be NFL players and have great careers. So two elite backs."

 Chubb had 96 and two touchdowns and Michel added 87 yards and a score of his own.

 Georgia is talented but young, and that would normally be a concern for Smart, especially in an environment such as Notre Dame Stadium. But kids today are cut from a different cloth, and aren't usually flustered by big moments.

 "Kids nowadays are different," Smart said. "If it was my freshman year and we were going there I think it would have been more intimidating. To be honest with you, these kids know Notre Dame's players. A long time ago you didn't know Notre Dame's players unless you saw them on TV because you didn't get recruited with them. These kids have gone to all-star games with those guys. They know those players.

 "Certainly, when you go on the road the environment changes. You have to try to simulate that environment, make sure they are calm and that they play well."

 The Irish are looking for their third 2-0 start in the last five seasons, and have won 40 games at home in Kelly's tenure, including 12 the last three seasons.

 Georgia has been a good road team in recent seasons, compiling an 18-7 record away from home since 2011. The Bulldogs have been money in non-conference games, going 13-2 the last three seasons, with wins over North Carolina and Clemson.

 Fans may not be ready to embrace either team as legitimate yet, simply because it's early in the season and there have been too many disappointments to truly get hopes up. Kelly plays off the must-win talk, preferring to focus on his team improving and showing that last year's 4-8 mark was an aberration.

 Smart realizes what's at stake for his team, that people might actually buy in if the Bulldogs come away with a victory. And though his memories of Notre Dame aren't many, he knows that a win over the Irish will be a feather for the program.

 "My memories of Notre Dame are more Rocket Ismail, Tim Brown (who was, interestingly enough, recruited by Faust), around that time," Smart said. "I was really too young to remember the national championship game, and I was not actually in the state of Georgia yet. It's a special place, I know that. It's just a resume that speaks for itself."