Ohio State players faced backlash after losing to Michigan for fourth straight year, but finished season as national champions
Ohio State players struggled to appear in public following their fourth consecutive home loss to Michigan. Team members described difficulty when dining out or spending time around Columbus in the weeks after the defeat.
The Buckeyes ultimately rebounded to win the national championship in Atlanta, with freshman Jeremiah Smith emerging as a standout performer during their title run.
For head coach Ryan Day, the championship victory carried personal significance.
"For me, it was my father. I didn’t really make this public before, but since you asked me, I’m going to answer the question," Day told Colin Cowherd. "I lost my father on January 20th when I was nine years old, and I saw when the schedule came out that the national championship game was on the same day that I lost my father. I just knew he was with me that day."
Smith delivered exceptional performances throughout the playoff run but remains focused on continued improvement.
"That’s one thing a lot of people mess up on — feeling like, ‘Oh, they had one good year, OK, I’m relaxed.’ That’s not in me. I’m gonna continue to do it for years and years to come," Smith said, according to Eleven Warriors.
One of the most memorable moments from Ohio State’s championship run occurred when Tennessee’s linemen took the field shirtless before their matchup.
Quarterback Will Howard recently shared his reaction to the Volunteers’ pre-game display.
"The funny thing is, they came out with their shirts off and ran over to the opposite end zone. What the f**k are these clowns doing? At that moment, I knew we had them," Howard told Jon Gruden in a recent interview.
This marks Howard’s first public comments about the incident. The quarterback is now preparing for the NFL Draft, which begins in two weeks.
