Ryan Day describes what his journey at Ohio State has meant to him

Over recent seasons, Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day has faced mounting pressure about his ability to get over the hump and win a championship. Despite that, it’s still a job he has found plenty of success in and is a school that matters to him.

Ahead of the Rose Bowl, which will act as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game, Day shared some thoughts about his journey at Ohio State. In particular, he shared how he’s dealt with some of the lows and the highs that have come with the job.

“I go back to our players because that’s, to me, that’s what’s the most important thing here and the team in general,” Ryan Day said. “It’s not just one person — it’s all of us together. And when you have great moments, you’ve got to make sure you appreciate everybody that’s doing all the hard work. And when things don’t go well, we all have to take ownership of it, and that’s part of the job, and I understand that. And I take ultimate responsibility for everything that goes on in the program.”

Ryan Day was initially hired by Ohio State as an assistant under Urban Meyer. He, ultimately, replaced Meyer as the team’s head coach and has a record of 67-10 there, dating back to his time as the interim in 2018. He’s found tons of success, but with four straight losses to the Michigan Wolverines, pressure has mounted on him and become a challenge for Day to manage.

“But I think for our guys to understand that life is about resilience,” Day said. “And you’re ultimately defined by how you handle adversity in your life and that things are going to be difficult along the way, but how you respond is critically important. So that continues to this point.”

Ohio State would bounce back from this season’s loss to Michigan with a massive win over the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the College Football Playoff. That was, hopefully for Ryan Day, the first step in a deep run to a potential national championship.

“And our guys have to continue to stay focused and disciplined now that we’re into December, middle of December, past Christmas,” Day said. “And that’s all part of the journey for them to understand, that the team who continue to stay focused and be disciplined and execute at a high level late in the season is the team that’s going to win. Here we are against a great opponent. We’ll have to be at our best.”

The Rose Bowl is going to be a major test for Ohio State. The Oregon Ducks, who are waiting for the Buckeyes, finished the season unbeaten and won the Big Ten. That included a massive head-to-head win for Oregon earlier in the season.

“But I think along the way we learned about ourselves. It’s a resilient group. It’s a team that wants to stick together. And it’s a team that wants to stay together, and so that’s it,” Day said. “And I’m proud of where our guys are at right now and excited to see them play Wednesday.”

Ryan Day will lead Ohio State into the Rose Bowl against Oregon on New Year’s Day. It’s a game where a win would go a long way into helping to calm the criticism about Day’s ability to win in big games.