Even though Ohio State football won the national championship, head coach Ryan Day had his eyes on the prize. Once he obtained the ultimate prize, it wasn't his true motivation.

He explained to NBC Sports' Nicole Auerbach if his perception would change following the national championship win.

“I thought it would feel different,” Day said. “It didn't. It felt great, but it didn't take long to be like, ‘all right, what's, what's the next thing? Where are we going next?'

“We've got a lot of work to do. There's no time for resting. We've got to keep building this thing, keep growing.”

Luckily, the Buckeyes have some good things going for them. Although they lost Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, and Quinshon Judkins to the NFL Draft, they retained Jeremiah Smith.

Not to mention, Julian Sayin will be the quarterback of Ohio State's future. After Will Howard also went to the NFL Draft, it's a retooling year, yet the Buckeyes seem poised.

They know what it takes to get to that level, and Day might be the piece they need.

Ryan Day sees more than championships with Ohio State football

Championships come and go, but the legacy is the most important. Guys like Nick Saban have won a ton of championships, but leave a legacy that resonates with his players.

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Day elaborated more on that point in his interview.

“The goal isn't to win championships. That's not the goal. The goal is to make an impact on young people's lives. At Ohio State, if you don't win championships, you're not going to be the coach for very long. That's just how it goes.

“So winning and winning championships just allows us an opportunity to continue to make an impact on these people's lives, and that's what this job is all about.”

Either way, Ohio State football is ready to run it back next season. Their group might be different, but the culture is the same. The team is younger, but has that same competitive spirit.

That alone is what Day is thankful for, and the main difference he sees between 2024 and 2025.

“We've got another season ahead of us, and we've got a great group of guys that we're building. They're a little bit young, and we had to replace a bunch of players, but that's it. ”

At the end of the day, the Buckeyes will have a tough time going back-to-back. Still, they have a premier head coach leading the charge.