The Ohio State football program is currently gearing up for the upcoming 2025 college football season, in which they will attempt to defend their national championship title from a year ago. The Buckeyes are led by head coach Ryan Day, who won his first national championship a year ago and finally got that monkey off of his back.
While it may be hard to remember now, there was a time last season when the Buckeyes' program was under heavy scrutiny following their shocking home loss to the Michigan Wolverines, which marked their fourth straight defeat in The Game.
That loss occurred just prior to Ohio State opening its playoff run against Tennessee, and in that moment, Day knew he had to step up and be a leader for the team.
“Day and his family remained resolute,” reported Jake Trotter of ESPN. “So did the Buckeyes, who came together during a pivotal three-hour meeting a couple of days later with just Day and the players. It began with screaming and tears. It ended with everyone clasping hands in prayer.”
“It got real in there,” said quarterback Will Howard, who is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. “But it made us closer — and turned us into a different animal when the playoffs came.”
A good leader for Ohio State
Ryan Day has drawn perhaps more criticism than any head coach in the college football world during his tenure with the Ohio State football program. His repeated inability to beat bitter rival Michigan, combined with a general trend of coming up small in the biggest moments (prior to 2024 at least), constantly caused him to draw the ire of both national pundits and Ohio State fans alike.
However, Day and the Buckeyes were finally able to put it all together in 2025, thanks in large part to the play of freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who established himself as arguably the best player in the country at the age of 18.
Day and the Buckeyes are now preparing for the 2025 season, which will begin on August 30 with a highly anticipated playoff rematch against Texas.
