If Ohio State decides to fire Ryan Day because he cannot figure out how to beat archrival Michigan even when the Wolverines are a mediocre team on their way to a mediocre bowl, it is going to cost some money.

As Austin Curtright of USA Today relayed Saturday, Ohio State would owe Day a $37.3 million buyout if it chose to fire him by Sunday. The fifth-highest-paid coach in college football is making $10.02 million in total pay this season.

On the surface, some fans of other programs might wonder why the idea of Day being fired is even being brought up.

After all, he is 66-10 in his six years as the Buckeyes' head coach. This season will likely mark the fourth time in those six years he led the Scarlet and Gray to the College Football Playoff, and they made the national championship game during the 2020 campaign.

However, he isn't accomplishing any of the program's goals even with a sparkling overall record.

Ohio State has three primary goals going into every season: beat Michigan, win the Big Ten championship and compete for the national title.

Yet the Buckeyes haven't beaten the Wolverines since Day's first season as head coach in 2019 and have now lost four in a row following Saturday's defeat. They haven't won the Big Ten since the 2020 campaign, which was the same season the rivalry game against Michigan was canceled because of COVID concerns.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines won the Big Ten in each of the last three seasons and won the national title during the 2023 campaign, although they are still under NCAA investigation for a wide-ranging sign-stealing scandal that just so happened to occur during those years.

Ohio State dominated the Michigan rivalry for decades during the Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer eras before Day took over. Yet it is now staring at a four-game losing streak in the head-to-head matchups after failing to take advantage of a home game against a 7-5 squad that was missing star players Will Johnson and Colston Loveland.

There was never going to be an easier opportunity for Day to end his losing streak against his hated rival, yet he still managed to lose while breaking out a staggeringly poor gameplan that included 26 running plays even though Michigan's biggest and perhaps only advantage on paper was its defensive line against Ohio State's banged-up offensive line.

Even though the Buckeyes are almost assuredly heading to the CFP, the sting of Saturday's loss will linger for the foreseeable future for the fanbase and players. And it might not cost Day his job, but it will lead to even more question marks about his status.