Stephen A. Smith went on ESPN's "First Take" and connected Deion Sanders to a head coaching job that isn't even available: Ohio State. Ryan Day is the Buckeyes' head coach, and AD Ross Bjork has given him a vote of confidence for the 2025 season.
"They want a name. Somebody mentioned to me Mike Vrabel, who starred at Ohio State and did a good job in the NFL in Tennessee. But as good as he is, that’s not going to create the sizzle," Smith said, per OutKick. "I think in the age of NIL and the transfer portal and all of that, the combination of the two, I think when you have these blue chip programs, you’re looking for sizzle.
"Of course, you’re looking for production — ultimately, somebody that can get the job done. It definitely always comes down to that. But if you can get the sizzle to be an allure, an attraction that’s gonna generate revenue for you, not just with the games, but just the mere mention of your name and what that brings. See, that’s where the Prime Times of the world come into play and that’s what’s gonna make him so attractive.
"If you know now that he’s proven he can coach on this level and he can win football games, if you put him in a position where you know that it really just depends on his ability to recruit and he brings that sizzle, you’re thinking about he pays for himself… he pays for himself because his popularity is so huge. That’s what you’re looking for if you’re Ohio State. Ryan Day does not do that for you."
Ohio State is a much different situation than Colorado. At CU, Coach Prime isn't beholden to do what a head coach typically has to. There are no prolonged booster meetings and he doesn't have to do the typical recruiting duties a head coach must handle.
For all we know, Day's Buckeyes can go on a championship run and make this conversation irrelevant. There may not ever be much relevancy to Coach Prime's name in Ohio State conversations, though.