Ryan Day was overcome with emotion after Ohio State lifted the golden trophy for the ninth time—and the first under his leadership—on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Fans saw an animated Day throwing his headset and sprinting across the field in celebration.
The Ohio State coach recently made his first public appearance since the championship victory on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he discussed the Buckeyes’ grit, resilience, and the surreal moment of finally hoisting the title.
Ryan Day Addresses Postgame Moment on Field
After a decade-long wait, Ohio State ended its championship drought by defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in Atlanta. It was a dream moment for OSU fans—and for Day—who couldn’t contain his excitement after Will Howard’s final pass to Jeremiah Smith sealed the victory.
The head coach’s joy was unmistakable as he immediately tore off his microphone and headset, launching them into the stands. Cameras captured the moment, and Fallon made sure to replay the clip while hosting Day on Monday night.
“You know, when you’re at the end of the game, you’re so close, you just want to see it end. It’s a two-score game, and anything can happen,” Day said, recalling the moment.
“And then all of a sudden, when you realize you won, it’s like—get this headset off me and throw it. I’m lucky it hit somebody in the crowd because there’s weight on that thing, too. And then I turned around—I forgot about the Gatorade bath. You’re not thinking about any of those things, and they surprised me with it. It was a great feeling,” he added with a big smile.
How Ohio State Used Its Michigan Loss as Fuel
Day also reflected on why this championship win was so special. Many fans had lost hope after OSU’s heartbreaking regular-season loss to rival Michigan. But instead of letting it demoralize them, Day and his team used it as motivation for their championship run.
“We had a huge celebration in the stadium. We had over 45,000 fans there, and that’s really when it sunk in—just the hard work and the journey we went on to get here,” Day said. “It was the first time we had the 12-team format in the playoffs—16 games—and there were ups and downs along the way, but our guys showed resilience. To hoist that trophy with everybody there meant a lot.”
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Over the past six seasons, Day has compiled a 70-10 record, two Big Ten championships, and now a national championship in 2025. The future looks bright for both him and the Buckeyes.
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