What Ohio State players said about Ryan Day’s playcalling after the Cotton Bowl loss

Ohio State’s season ended with a 24–14 loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl. In Ryan Day’s first game as the primary playcaller this season, players shared how they assessed his performance.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches from the sideline during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In Ohio State’s 24–14 season-ending loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl, head coach Ryan Day served as the sole playcaller for the first time this season. Brian Hartline, who had called the offense for every game leading up to the playoff quarterfinal, moved to the sidelines to focus on the wide receivers.

“Maybe a couple things were different,” center Carson Hinzman said of Day calling the offense. “But I can only control what I can control. The ‘C’ next to my name doesn’t say ‘coach,’ it says ‘center,’ and I trust his decisions completely. He’s done a great job as a playcaller in the past, and wherever that leads us in the offseason and next year, I’ll fully support him.”

The Buckeyes’ offensive line struggled most against a relentless Miami defense. Despite pass protection being a top priority in the weeks leading up to the matchup, quarterback Julian Sayin was sacked five times — matching the total he took against Indiana in Ohio State’s Big Ten Championship loss. Hinzman owned the breakdowns.

“I think overall, as an offensive line, we didn’t execute the way we wanted to,” Hinzman said. “It’s embarrassing and it sucks. That’s on me. That should’ve never happened, especially against a team like that.”

Defensively, Ohio State was solid but not at its usual standard. Miami quarterback Carson Beck faced significantly less pressure than Sayin, finishing with just two sacks against him and completing 13 consecutive passes before halftime — a Cotton Bowl record.

Defensive end Caden Curry, who played his final game as a Buckeye, said the team needed to start faster and acknowledged the defense could have played better. When asked about the offense, Curry said it wasn’t his place to evaluate Day’s playcalling.

“Obviously that’s not my side of the ball, so I can’t really comment too much on that,” Curry said. “I can’t say if it was good or bad — obviously we lost. That’s up to them, and hopefully they can fix it moving forward.”

Fixing it moving forward must be Ohio State’s top priority. With the timing of Hartline’s departure for a head coaching opportunity at USF, selecting an offensive coordinator will be a critical focus for Day this offseason.

As the Buckeyes’ year comes to a surprising close, Miami will advance to the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 8, where it will face the winner of Georgia and Ole Miss.