So I am in the boat Day needs to go - have been since the end of last year.  Thought better of him and gave more leeway when the extensive cheating came to light, lost all remaining goodwill with the Mizzou performance.  If I'm the AD he's gone tonight.  

Alas though - they don't give the AD position to guys who never even played organized sports, let alone ran an organization of that size and income.  I am also resigned to the reality that Smith isn't going to can Day on the way out the door, and no one truly better than a coin-flip bet to-be-better-than-Day is available anyway... So he will, barring some freak NFL offer he accepts, return for next season.  

IMO though this is a make or break season.  Win or GTFO.  

For me the requirements are as follows: 

1- Beat M*chigan or you're fired.  

2- Make the playoffs or you're fired.  

3- Lose more than two games in the regular season and you're fired.  

Some combination of the following things may also get him fired IMO

1- Failing to beat M*chigan soundly.  That team is going to return ass and looks like it'll be without Harbaugh and facing extensive NCAA penalties.  You can't eek out a win at home with everything you have returning.  

2- Failing to make the Big Ten championship.  Some leeway with not winning it, that's about to get a lot harder.  

3- Getting embarrassed in the Big Ten Championship and/or the playoffs.  

4- Any clear signs he has lost the team.  

What are your hard lines for next year?  You can dive into steps you think he needs to take to achieve our goals - but I'm more interested where people are drawing the line on what he COULD do to keep his job.