"We're trying to become the best in the world": Ryan Day cherishes historic moment in his Ohio State journey

Ryan Day lifted the coveted golden trophy for the first time ever in his head coaching career after a terrific display of grit and resilience in the 2024 season. To some extent, he was an underdog, especially after Ohio State lost to rival Michigan in the regular season.

He faced the ire of Buckeye fans worldwide. Despite all the setbacks, Day & Co. managed to trust their progress and punch a Playoff ticket.

Looking back at the moment at Mercedes-Benz stadium from Jan. 20, Day calls it surreal.

The Ohio State coach recently appeared for a sit-down interview with NBC's Nicole Auerbach, where he shared his life post-natty and the motivation ahead. He recounted how the team progressed to finally make the natty game. At first, Notre Dame was in the driver's seat, but the momentum quickly shifted by halftime.

“I didn't really think about that at the time, quite honestly, going through the memories of the national championship game. By the time it got to the end, yeah, we're up pretty early,” Day said in the interview on Thursday. [Timestamp: 0:10]

“And then, you know, Notre Dame sort of clawing back. And then, we hit with the throw to Jeremiah. And by then, it was a relief, because I think we all expected to win once we got there. And looking back on the pictures, it was all sort of a blur, so a lot of that was relief at the time. But you know now to look back and you have some time to reflect on it."

He then added:

"There were a lot of lessons learned, a lot of trials and tribulations along the way. And a big part of it is resilience, just you know, continually working through difficult times and solving problems, knowing that it's not easy to do what we're doing.

"You know, we're trying to become the best in the world and what we do is an extremely competitive environment.”

Ryan Day reflects on his journey of seven years at Ohio State as head coach

It has been an exponential rise for Day ever since he took over the job from legendary coach Urban Meyer in 2019. Expectations were sky high due to the legacy that Meyer had left behind.

Auerbach showed Day a picture from 2019, which featured a young energetic Day, and asked what he was unaware of at that point.

The 46-year-old mentioned that he was very well aware of the priorities that came with the profile and who he was at that point. But what he didn't know were the risks and sacrifices that came with the job.

His family and friends also had to take the toll of the mistakes and successes that he enjoyed. There were security officials guarding his home at Columbus after Ohio State lost to the Michigan Wolverines last season. Heading into 2025, the next goal for Day is to defend the national championship.