As Ohio State triumphs for the first time since 2014, Ryan Day, the head coach, is relishing his first national championship.
Currently, Day is arguing that the Buckeyes’ championship merits a noteworthy place in history. During a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Rece Davis, Day called Ohio State’s championship run the greatest in college football history.
I think it’s the best run in the history of college football. The wins, and the resilience that these guys showed to continue to push,” said Day.
On the one hand, Ohio State lost two games during the regular season, including one against Michigan at home where they were favored by three touchdowns. However, the Buckeyes’ victories appear to be among the greatest in the sport’s history.
In the CFP National Championship Game, Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, marking their fifth victory over an AP Top 5 team this year. That sets a new record, surpassing even LSU’s four AP Top 5 victories from the 2019 season.
Additionally, Ohio State defeated six of the eleven opponents in the Playoff bracket at the end of the season. The Buckeyes defeated Indiana and Penn State during the regular season and defeated Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and the Fighting Irish during the tournament.
“When the bracket was set, we were like ‘Okay, well we put ourselves in this situation.’ But we knew if we got that first win, watch out, because this team was dangerous,” Ryan Day continued in his interview with Davis. “We knew that all along, but we had to come together on our own. We knew we had the talent, but talent doesn’t win games. It just doesn’t.
“We came together in a big way, caught some momentum off that Tennessee game. And once you have momentum, you’ve got to keep it. We kept it throughout and played our best down the stretch.”
It may be debatable if Ohio State’s run was significant, but the Buckeyes once again have history on their side as the first-ever 12-team playoff champions. In 2025, we’ll see what Ryan Day has in store for us.
