Ryan Day on recent failures with past Ohio State teams: 'You learn a lot'

Ryan Day knows how to take a loss in stride. On Thursday, the Ohio State head coach revealed how he’s overcome past failures at the helm of the Buckeyes.

“You learn a lot every year,” Day said. “Every year, you have to rebuild. What we call it — we’re calling them bricks. It’s bricks in the foundation, and you won’t know how strong that foundation is until the storms come and the big games come down the road.

“It’s gonna be a long season this year. So we’re trying to maximize every single day, every meeting, every walkthrough, every practice,” Day continued. “If you asked me, ‘What have you learned the most?’ It’s making sure you have the right people in the right seats.”

Day is entering his sixth season as Ohio State’s head coach. In his first two seasons leading the Buckeyes, Day led the program to back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff Appearances. In 2021, the team reached the national championship, falling 52-24 to Alabama.

Since then, Ohio State has failed to secure the Big Ten crown, allowing Michigan to win three straight conference titles. Nonetheless, Day believes he has the right people in the right seats this season.

During the offseason, Day hired former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly to be the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator. Additionally, Day parted ways with special teams coordinator Parker Fleming and safeties coach Perry Eliano.

Ohio State not only saw a makeover on its staff but its roster, as well. The team will only return 61% of its production from last season. To soften the blow of its losses, Ohio State added a standout transfer class, highlighted by exceptional talents such as safety Caleb Downs, quarterback Will Howard and running back Quinshon Judkins.

Ryan Day knows practice makes perfect

Ryan Day knows the coming days will be pivotal to Ohio State’s success in the 2024 campaign.

“Preseason is going to be a critical part of this and it’s got to be physical,” Day said. “Guys got to have an edge to them. This is what everything else is built on. Today’s just the first day, but we know it’s going to be a long road to the end of the season. But, that doesn’t mean it changes your approach every day and the urgency that we have to have, and we have to bring it.

“We’re going to do everything we can to maximize our team and play really good football down the stretch. I think when you look at the way that the season’s designed at the end of the year, you’re looking at four or five, maybe even six games of probably top-10 football, back to back to back. And so the only way to be ready for something like that is to train at a high, high level.”