Ryan Day reacts to Ohio State’s No. 2 seed and outlines Buckeyes prep plan for CFP

The Buckeyes earned the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff, and Ryan Day explains what it means for Ohio State’s preparation and mindset after the Big Ten Championship loss.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day yells for his players to stop while leaving the field following the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. Ohio State lost 13-10. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ryan Day was excited about Ohio State’s No. 2 seeding in the College Football Playoff, stating the committee likely appreciated their battle into the fourth quarter in the Big Ten Championship in addition to their previously undefeated season.

“The committee recognized the body of work that we had this year,” Day said. “We're excited about where we are. And going down to Dallas again and playing against a really good opponent, either A&M or Miami, two really good teams.”

There’s no denying the strength of the teams in the playoffs this year. Regardless of seeding, Day recognized that even the top four teams will have to play hard from here on out.

The benefit to a first-round bye, which the Buckeyes did not have last year, is more time to prepare for the Cotton Bowl and to give players rest who have been working their bodies nonstop since August. Conversely, the downside is more downtime, which allows for players to lose their rhythm. 

“It's a significant layoff,” Day said, recognizing that it’s much more than a singular bye week in the season. “So the first thing we want to do is the guys who have played a significant amount of football, let them get their legs underneath them, but also, as we get into next week, make sure that they're keeping their edge.”

The Buckeyes’ coaching staff is already putting together a practice plan around Christmas before traveling down to Dallas on December 28th, with the ultimate goal being to keep their routine. The staff is also working on sifting through an offensive plan of attack moving forward, which is the primary area Ohio State was lacking against a ruthless Hoosiers defense. But despite the loss, Day remains confident in his team, saying they’ll use the defeat as motivation.

“I think there's still a bunch of guys in this room that know we can play with anybody in the country and beat anybody in the country when we're on our game,” Day said. 

The Buckeyes were simply not on their game against Indiana. Day recognized that, saying the loss ripped open the scabs on all the issues at-hand, and they have to address them before December 31. 

“We're going to respond like men,” Day said. “You're not going to sit around and point fingers and feel sorry for ourselves. We lost. We were not at our best… you have to get the issues fixed.”