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Ohio State head coach Ryan Day believes the struggles his team faced during the 2024 season fueled the team's desire to compete for the National Championship.
Following the Buckeyes' 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the championship game, Day talked about how the team “stuck together” throughout the adversity.
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“That's why you get into coaching … watch guys overcome things, learn life lessons, and reach their dreams. That's what happened tonight.”
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes are NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pXQ7aLBHEo
“Just sticking together, having each other's backs,” Day said. “Belief is big with these guys. We built the foundation at the beginning of the season and we knew we had to weather the storm. We did it, we stuck together, we stuck it out like a family does when things get tough and we got to the end.”
The Buckeyes finish the season 14-2 with their only losses coming against Oregon and arch-rival Michigan. Ohio State was able to avenge a loss to the Ducks in the Rose Bowl but the loss to the Wolverines came against a Michigan team that finished 8-5 and has now defeated the Buckeyes in the last four “Games.”
The loss to the Wolverines knocked the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten Championship Game and dropped the program to the 8th seed in the CFP. This means that they were down in three of the four games in the Playoff and had to overcome a group of opponents that included Oregon.
Ohio State was playing well in the postseason, outscoring opponents 145-75 in four games. Dayzi's comments suggest that the regular season losses and the criticism that came with it motivated the team to emerge from the field as champions.
