Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day was brutally honest about the impact the loss to Michigan had on his program. The Buckeyes have responded to this brutal defeat in extraordinary fashion. Ohio State has run through three-straight title contenders in the College Football Playoff and now will face Notre Dame in the National Championship game.

Ryan Day and company have looked like a completely different team than the one that showed up on November 30. The Buckeyes head coach revealed how his team was able to bounce back from this loss to College Football Insider with Action Network Brett McMurphy.

“That's the sobering reality of this game that nobody cares about what you go through, and you've got to win that final one to finish the mission. That's it for our guys, and as much as some of these wins have been great wins for us, to me, it's about winning this final game.

“Our guys will have learned a lot about life over the last month. It's been a tight group. We've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

This Ohio State football team's legacy hinges on Monday's result

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws a pass during the first half of the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The loss to Michigan was a tough blow for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have dropped their past four games to their bitter rival and were coming into this clash as major favorites. And that defeat cost Ryan Day's team a spot in the Big Ten Championship game.

Ohio State football subsequently faced a daunting road in the College Football Playoff as the No. 8 seed. However, the squad has looked like the dominant team it was billed as heading into 2024.

After a blowout win over Tennessee, the Buckeyes got some much-needed revenge against No. 1 Oregon. While the Cotton Bowl against No. 3 Texas proved to be Ohio State's most difficult game yet in the College Football Playoff, senior defensive end Jack Sawyer sealed the deal on an 83-yard scoop and score play.

All in all, and Buckeyes fans will probably disagree with this, the loss to Michigan might've been good for this program from a national championship-contending standpoint.

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly had a perplexing strategy against the Wolverines that largely hinged on the ground game. The Buckeyes got away from their strengths that afternoon, such as getting the ball to elite wideout talents like Jeremiah Smith.

Fortunately, Ohio State's offense has looked completely different in the College Football Playoff. And this unit will have to continue that trend on Monday night. Notre Dame has a balanced defense that quarterback Will Howard must attack early on to break down.

Overall, Ryan Day's team has shown remarkable resilience throughout this stretch. This squad is playing angry and heads into Atlanta as the definitive favorite.

However, with the loss to Michigan and the lack of a Big Ten championship, much of this Ohio State team's legacy hinges on Monday night's result. But a win would give the program perhaps its sweetest national championship ever.