It was early morning on the day after, and Ryan Day was answering questions about an historic championship run at Ohio State.
Hours removed from winning it all, the subject turned to what’s next — and if this championship relieves some of the pressure at Ohio State.
“Yeah, try losing the first game and see how that goes,” Day said. “We’ll see about that.”
In the two weeks since winning the College Football Playoff national championship game, it has become painfully obvious that nothing has changed in Columbus. Every day brings more make or break.
Like defensive coordinator Jim Knowles leaving for rival Penn State. Or offensive coordinator Chip Kelly bolting for the NFL.
Or star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith posting cryptically on social media, and who knows what the next in line at quarterback will do — considering he left his previous school a year earlier because of coaching change.
Relax, people. Ohio State already made the biggest move of the offseason.
It kept Ryan Day.
It kept the coach nearly run off by a lunatic fringe of the passionate fanbase, a small but vocal group that forced Day to hire private security to watch his home.
It kept the architect of an offense that has changed the personality of the Big Ten in Day’s eight seasons in Columbus, forcing the rest of the run-heavy conference to adapt.
It kept one of the game’s best offensive minds, whose system has churned out Day 1 picks in the NFL draft at quarterback and wide receiver like a mass production assembly line.
It kept the coach who, after it all fell apart in November with another loss to Michigan, realized it was time to do what Ohio State has done best with him leading the way: chuck it all over the park.
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Ohio State won the national championship – won four difficult College Football Playoff games away from home – because it started throwing the ball downfield and forcing its proven will on opponents. From repeatedly running the ball into the teeth of the Michigan defense and losing The Game, to throwing it intermediate and over the top on everyone else and winning it all.
It’s not that difficult to figure out.
So forget about coordinators leaving town, or if star players are going to be happy with this new coach or that one. The only coach that matters is the guy whose offense has produced an unthinkable touchdown-to-interception ratio in his eight years as either the offensive coordinator or head coach in Columbus: 311 touchdown passes to 58 interceptions.
You read that right, three-hundred and eleven.
That’s an average of 39 touchdown passes a season, including the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when Ohio State played only eight games.
When I asked quarterback Julian Sayin two weeks ago about Ohio State, and what attracted him to the program after he left Alabama when Nick Saban retired, he said matter of factly, ‘Coach Day and the offense.’
Of course Day is the selling point. Not Chip Kelly, who spent one season as offensive coordinator before leaving for the NFL. Not the “system” Kelly installed.
Make no mistake, Kelly took Day’s offense and called plays. He may have focused more on the power run game because that was the plan from the jump (by both Day and Kelly), but with the season at a crossroads after the Michigan loss, Day quickly reverted to what works.
To what has produced three first round picks in the NFL draft at the most important position on the field (Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, CJ Stroud), and four first round selections at wide receiver (Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njiba).
To what eventually, and finally, produced a national title. A championship that is the key to everything moving forward.
Because that title legitimizes all the good Day has produced at Ohio State that went largely unnoticed under the emotional avalanche of losing to Michigan every damn year.
The top five recruiting classes, the player development, the CFP appearances, the NFL scouts setting up shop in Columbus.
All signs of a healthy, vibrant program as strong as any in college football. No matter what has played out against Michigan.
Hours after winning it all, Day was asked about the transition to 2025, and how a once veteran-heavy team will get younger, quickly.
Ohio State has another Top 5 recruiting class per the 247Sports composite ranking, including five-star signees at quarterback (Tavien St. Clair) and wide receiver (Quincy Porter). Both enrolled early and will participate in spring practice.
“You have to use this time as an opportunity too learn what it’s supposed to look like,” Day said.
They’ve known what it’s supposed to look like all along under Ryan Day.
The national title just legitimized it.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
