Big Bucks for the Buckeyes. Winning a national championship isn’t just about the glory—it’s also about the green. But it seems like not for their HC. Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day has more than one reason to smile after his first CFP title victory on Monday night. But this fact about last year’s title could hurt his feelings. He padded his wallet with an extra $500,000 bonus, courtesy of the win. That pushes his total CFP performance bonus to a cool $1 million.

However, the ‘cool’ factor faded when compared to their fiercest rival’s latest win. On top of that, have you ever heard of assistants earning more than their boss? You might be here in Columbus.

Ryan Day was still far behind Michigan’s ex-coach Jim Harbaugh. As USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz highlighted on X, “Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will pick up a $1 million bonus for the Wolverines winning the CFP national championship. He ends the season with $3 million in on-field bonuses.” The college’s trustee should pay him an extra mil for tolerating the amount of early criticism that he did. Even Day’s defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, took home more bonus cash than his boss.

Ohio State assistants earn postseason bonuses totaling 35% of their base salary. “With CFP final win, each Ohio State assistant adds a bonus amt equal to 5% of base salary, bringing each of their totals to an amt equal to 35% of base salary. For DC Jim Knowles, that’s a total of $770,000. For OC Chip Kelly, it’s $700K,” he said. Well, Knowles’ bonus alone is more than what 18 public FBS head coaches make this season. In total, Ohio State’s 10 primary assistants (six of whom earn over $1 million) and their head strength coach raked in over $4.3 million in bonuses.

Leading Ohio State to a dominant 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship, let’s not forget the magnitude of Day’s accomplishment. He led a team under immense scrutiny after a rollercoaster regular season. Suddenly, Day’s bonus seemed less like a jackpot and more like loose change, at least by Big Ten standards.

The Buckeyes’ championship run was fueled by an electric offense and a defense that stifled Notre Dame when it mattered most. Ryan Day silenced critics who had questioned his ability to win the big one, proving that he could rise above the pressure cooker that is Ohio State Football. And while the financial disparity with Harbaugh might sting, it doesn’t diminish the fact that Day has solidified his place among the elite coaches in the sport.

Ryan Day turned his 4th straight nightmare into a stepping stone for the title

The bonus disparity fades away when you hear his per annum salary of $10 million. That makes him one of the highest-paid CFB coaches, so he’s good. Just 51 days ago, the noise surrounding Ryan Day and Ohio State was deafening. The gut-wrenching 13-10 loss to Michigan on their home turf felt like a storm cloud hanging over the program.

For Day, whose record against the Wolverines sits at a tough-to-swallow 1-4, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. Buckeye Nation doesn’t just expect wins—they demand them, especially against their bitter rivals. Anything less, and some fans are quick to scream, “Off with his headset!”

Day knew what had to be done. “I really just wanted to finish this thing the right way,” he said, and boy, did he have the tools to do it—a multi-million-dollar roster and a championship legacy screaming for redemption. The pressure wasn’t just a weight; it was an avalanche. Chip Kelly, Day’s former coach at New Hampshire and Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, summed it up perfectly: “When you look at the game against Michigan, it could be one of two things. It could be your tombstone, or it could be a stepping stone.” Thankfully for Day, it’s looking like the latter.

That loss wasn’t the end of the story; it became the start of something bigger.