Ryan Day Gets Extremely Honest About The Pressure At Ohio State
01/15/2025 06:07 PM
The Ohio State Buckeyes have a chance to win the national championship on Monday night, and there's no one who would rather accomplish the feat than the team's head coach Ryan Day.
Day has done almost everything that a head coach can do in college football. He's recruited Heisman finalists and first-round picks, won several bowl and College Football Playoff games and multiple conference championships.
Still, coaching at a major program like Ohio State means that coaches are measured by national championships, and Day has yet to win one.
With only a few days remaining until one of the biggest games of his life, Day reflected on the pressure he faces at Ohio State.
"To think too much about that right now is kind of over here," Day said ahead of Monday's championship game against Notre Dame.
"And I'm with you, I think you're dead on. I think it's worth a lot of conversation. I think when you start to get into that, though, as a coach or as a player it can be a distraction."
Day said that looking to the past and looking ahead won't help Ohio State this year, as they look to win the program's first national championship in a decade.
"One of the things we're trying to do this week is eliminate all the distractions," said the head coach.
"What's happened in the past doesn't matter. What's happening moving forward doesn't matter. All that matters is winning this game right now, and then we can kind of figure out what that is."
Ohio State will look to become the first team to win the national championship after making it through a 12-team College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes benefitted from expansion this year after missing out on the Big Ten championship.
In previous seasons, Ohio State may have missed out on the four-team playoff with higher-ranked conference champions around the country.
This year, the Buckeyes have taken advantage of their opportunity, and they now find themselves one win away from the biggest prize in the sport.
We'll see if the team can apply Day's advice on Monday and leave Atlanta with a win over Notre Dame and the national championship.
Related: Lou Holtz Releases His Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Score Prediction
