5 months ago
ARLINGTON, Texas — The passageway erstwhile filled pinch confetti, commemorative shirts and large euphony was quiet Wednesday arsenic nan seconds ticked person to 2026.
As Ohio State shot walked to its locker room wrong AT&T Stadium, it was a different vibe from nan 1 displayed past January. Back then, nan Buckeyes were celebrating a melodramatic triumph against Texas successful nan Cotton Bowl which clinched a travel to nan National Championship Game.
This year, though, was silent.
Graduate assistants and family members watched arsenic Ohio State players and coaches walked backmost to their locker room successful despair. This locker room was now for nan losers, pinch Miami upsetting OSU successful a 24-14 College Football Playoff quarterfinal win.
A promising play ended successful an unexpected manner, pinch Ohio State losing to Indiana successful nan Big Ten Championship Game and going one-and-done successful nan CFP.
The offseason arrived sooner than anyone successful that locker room expected.
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Julian Sayin’s clip to grow
Julian Sayin’s caput was down, his eyes occasionally glancing astatine nan disappointing stat expanse successful beforehand of him.
The redshirt freshman backmost conscionable watched his first play arsenic Ohio State’s starter travel to an end, fueled mostly by 5 sacks he took and 2 interceptions he threw.
The Heisman Trophy finalist didn’t envision his play ending this way, but for illustration everything this season, Wednesday must beryllium a learning infinitesimal for nan California native.
Against nan Hoosiers, he suffered his first loss. Against nan Hurricanes, he was handed his first season-ending loss.
That somber locker room segment and ensuing property convention will person to instrumentality pinch him arsenic he turns his attraction toward nan 2026 campaign.
“Ultimately, it wasn’t bully enough,” Sayin said. “Didn’t put up capable points. It starts pinch me.”
Sonny Styles’ goodbye
Across nan hallway from Ohio State’s property convention successful nan bowels of AT&T Stadium, prime Buckeyes were besides made disposable for breakout interviews pinch nan media. Linebacker Sonny Styles, nan Block O recipient this season, was among those who spoke.
He will time off Ohio State pinch a dressed up resume. The Pickerington, Ohio, autochthonal arrived arsenic a five-star imaginable successful nan 2022 recruiting people fresh to play safety.
Instead, he pivoted to linebacker up of nan 2024 season. The modulation was seamless.
Styles started each 16 games for nan Buckeyes past twelvemonth en way to nan ninth nationalist title successful programme history. He again started each crippled this season, wrapping up a profession judge to beryllium recognized pinch an early action successful nan upcoming NFL draft.
But his last representation arsenic a Buckeye will beryllium an affectional one.
As he near nan question and reply room, Styles put a hood complete his caput and sat pinch his look betwixt his knees connected a play cart. The emotion of his collegiate profession coming to an extremity was evident arsenic erstwhile Ohio State All-American linebacker Bobby Carpenter said to him.
“Didn’t spell retired nan measurement you want to finish, but it is what it is,” Styles said. “You conscionable person gratitude for nan clip here, nan awesome moments we did person and nan things we did achieve.”
The extremity of Matt Patricia’s first season
Day’s last moments astatine AT&T Stadium were spent extracurricular nan Buckeyes’ locker room. After finishing his property conference, Day spent clip pinch his arms astir his daughters arsenic he said to them and his wife, Nina.
He past had a prolonged speech pinch protect coordinator Matt Patricia — a first-year coordinator astatine nan collegiate level who whitethorn person taught Day thing astir hiring coaches successful Columbus.
Ohio State mislaid protect coordinator Jim Knowles to Penn State aft winning nan nationalist title past year. The move came astatine an inopportune time, pinch astir of nan assemblage shot coaching rhythm completed earlier OSU’s play ended.
However, Day was diligent successful his search. He made an unconventional hire, bringing successful an knowledgeable NFL coach who hadn’t worked astatine nan collegiate level since 2003.
Perhaps, successful that quiet speech extracurricular Ohio State’s locker room, Day was reminded of nan process for uncovering Knowles’ replacement.
It could beryllium a guiding constituent arsenic Ohio State looks for Brian Hartline’s replacement astatine violative coordinator.
Day could beforehand from wrong and person either tight ends coach Keenan Bailey aliases violative statement coach Tyler Bowen return complete play-calling duties. He could besides prosecute personification for illustration Brian Daboll — nan recently-fired New York Giants coach who past worked successful assemblage arsenic Alabama’s violative coordinator successful 2017.
Day is an offensive-minded coach who has posted awesome numbers astatine Ohio State, but arsenic he enters different offseason, bringing successful a caller look to bolster nan discourtesy could thief — particularly aft lackluster efforts against nan Hoosiers and Hurricanes.
“We’ve sewage to get backmost to it and fig retired wherever we’re going to spell moving forward,” Day said. “We’ve sewage to beryllium down and measure each of it.”
