Ohio State fans and dignitaries gathered at Ohio Stadium on Sunday to celebrate the Buckeyes’ 2024 national championship run. Ohio State bested Notre Dame 34-23 in the College Football Playoff National Championship last week to win its first crown since 2014 and third since 1970.
The celebration was a major moment for Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who overcame a devastating regular-season finish in a 13-10 loss to Michigan — leading to death threats to him and his family — to turn the season around and win the national title.
“He is the Buckeye coach for years to come,” Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said during Day’s introduction.
Day has a sensational 70-10 record at Ohio State but was plagued by close losses over the past four seasons. The CFP was a perfect opportunity for him to rewrite his reputation. The Buckeyes put together one of the most dominant four-game runs in history, crushing top 10 opponents Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame by an average of 17.5 points per game in the postseason.
Ohio State president Ted Carter said that the program is committed to keeping Day around long term. Though Day has been rumored for NFL coaching opportunities, Ohio State is working on a new contract extension after he became only the third active coach to win a national championship.
“We’re working on it,” Carter told Eleven Warriors. “We don’t have any announcements yet, but we have intent. I know Ryan wants to stay here, so we’re working the details.”
Other moments were more lighthearted. Star defensive end Jack Sawyer joked during the speeches that he would return to Ohio State for a fifth season, but he is out of eligibility. Much of the defense opted to turn down the NFL last season and come back in search of winning a championship. Despite two regular-season losses, they finished the job.
Despite a day of celebration, not all news was good news for Ohio State. On the same day, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles accepted the same position at Big Ten rival Penn State, which plans to pay Knowles north of $3 million annually to make him the highest-paid assistant in college football history.
