ATLANTA – Following Ohio State’s 34-23 national championship victory over Notre Dame on Monday night, Ryan Day took a deep breath – a sigh of relief, some may say.
The noise after Ohio State’s loss to Michigan just 51 days prior was deafening. It seemed like the only thing Day could do to drown it out was to win the Buckeyes’ first title in 10 years.
And on Monday he did just that.
“When you go through great moments, you really grab on to the people that are around you, and it’s the same thing when you go through difficult moments,” Day said. “That’s it. That’s why you have family. That’s why you build relationships.”
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After a moment to take it all in, Day found “the truth tellers” in his life. His wife and three kids stood there, arms open, ready to celebrate Day becoming a national title coach. Nia, Day’s youngest daughter, was in tears.
“We’ve got to go celebrate,” Day said to his family. “We’re gonna go on stage and hoist this trophy.”
Day took a moment on stage to embrace an emotional Caleb Downs before the Buckeyes were introduced as the 2025 national champions.
“Coach Day is probably one of the most ecstatic people you can be around,” Downs told USA TODAY Sports at Saturday’s CFP Media Day. “He’s so happy to see us have success and to see the work that we put in come to fruition. So just being around him postgame, you definitely get a smile on your face because you can see how excited he is.”
Day said it from the get-go. He really just “wanted to finish this thing the right way.”
With a multi-million dollar roster on hand and a championship legacy for the ages, pressure came from all sides. It was time for Day to win big.
“So, when you look at the game against Michigan, it could be one of two things,’ said Chip Kelly, Ohio State offensive coordinator who was also Day’s coach when he played at New Hampshire. ‘It could be your tombstone or it could be a stepping stone. And Ryan and our players turned it into a stepping stone.”
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Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan on its own turf was a gut punch for Day. Day, who’s faced constant pressure to meet the standard of Buckeyes fans, is 1-4 against the Wolverines in his time as head coach – a record some deem as “fireable.”
“I was upset, but yet, (I) know that he’s a great coach, and unfortunately, some of our fans take it a little extreme,” longtime Ohio State fan Todd Adcock told USA TODAY Sports before kickoff on Monday.
In the news conference following the now-infamous postgame scuffle between the two rivals, all Day could say was “I don’t know.” Tensions were high and uncertainty loomed over a team favored to win it all.
“This game can give you the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,” Day said after Monday’s win. “It can take you to your knees some days as a player and as a coach.”
Monday’s win put Day firmly on his feet – standing with his family and his players in front of the national championship trophy.
All that noise from 51 days ago fell quiet.
“(The players are) my motivation. My family at home, my wife and kids, and these guys. That’s why I get up in the morning every day is just to try to make sure these guys reach their dreams and goals,’ Day said in a postgame broadcast interview on Monday.
‘We hung in there like a family does when things get hard.’
This story has been updated with new information.
Mia Fishman is a student in the University of Georgia’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program.