Ohio State coach Ryan Day led his team to the national championship last season. While the Buckeyes' historic run included some big wins over strong opponents, Day recently spilled the beans on the momentum his team had heading into the College Football Playoff last season.During an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Friday, Day recalled how Ohio State's mindset changed after the first-round playoff game against Tennessee."It's hard to explain," Day said. "When you think about a playoff game in Ohio State Stadium, you think about the cold weather, in the middle of December. And just think about a rowdy crowd and everything that would come with that. And for all of us, whether it was the fans or players or coaches, our backs were against the wall."And we had that mentality right out of the gate. There was a decent amount of Orange in the stadium."After beating the Vols, Ohio State beat Oregon CFP quarterfinals. The Buckeyes then took down Texas in the CFP semifinal and beat Notre Dame 34-23 in the championship game.Although Day's Ohio State lost a few players to the NFL draft, the Buckeyes' coach has plans to defend the national title in the upcoming season.Ryan Day's Ohio State will begin 2025 season against Texas LonghornsPress Conference With Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day Ahead Of The Ohio State-Texas Game - Source: GettyRyan Day's No. 3 Ohio State will open its 2025 season against top-ranked Texas on Saturday. The game will kick off at noon ET from Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.The Longhorns are considered one of the favorites to win the national title, since they have Arch Manning as their starting quarterback. However, Day will be aiming to start the season with a win.Last week, Day confirmed that Julian Sayin will be the Buckeyes' starting quarterback for the 2025 season.