The Ryan Day Podcast is live.
In his new podcast with The 1870 Society, Day sits down with former Buckeye defensive lineman and 2014 national champion Michael Bennett to share inside insight on the Ohio State football program. The debut episode of his namesake show was released on Wednesday to members of the collective.
While full episodes of The Ryan Day Podcast will remain exclusive to 1870 Society members, we’ll share some of Day’s most interesting comments with Eleven Warriors readers after each release.
In episode one, the Ohio State head coach discussed several topics with Bennett including the future of college football in a 12-team College Football Playoff format, how Ohio State still holds academics to a high standard even in the era of NIL and the transfer portal and much more.
A Problem For Another Time
In 2024, the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams with six conference champions and six at-large schools. As he prepares for 2023 – the final season of a four-team CFP – Day said he will look into the 12-team format with more intent next offseason. Still, Day provided some commentary on the “new era” of the sport.
“Three of the last four years, we have been in the CFP. Each year has been a little different,” Day said. “In 2019, the Clemson game was a roller coaster ride. In 2020, that was different because of COVID, and how that all shook out. We beat Clemson and then had to turn around and play in the national championship game. We were a little shorthanded (against Alabama), and that was a challenge. And in 2022, coming off the loss in the rivalry game, we had an edge. We weren't sure if we would be in the CFP, but we were in. We were physical leading up to the Georgia game.
“Each year of those years was new, and it will be (in 2024). As we head into the new era of a 12-team playoff, it will be different. Whether you get a bye or don't get a bye or how that will all shake out will be unique. It will be a little bit more like the NFL style. You may play a team that you have already played. You may play in bad weather. All of these things start to become variables.”
Ryan Day coaches from the sidelines of Ohio State's Peach Bowl matchup with Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 31, 2022. (Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Day said a newer revelation he has experienced when looking ahead to the 12-team playoff is that Ohio State could play 17 games in the season after 12 regular-season matchups, the Big Ten Championship Game, and four CFP contests.
While that would take some time for the Buckeyes to adjust to that reality, Day hopes the multiple seasons of experience and wisdom the program has collected from past CFP appearances would help Ohio State in the future.
"It will be a longer season," Day said. "You could play 17 games. You have the Big Ten Championship Game. You have the first round, second round, third round, and then the national championship. Those are things we need to consider. The good news is that there's some commonality. I look forward to this season. If we make it back to the CFP, we will have (four) years of data (from the past five years) to look through and make sure we can prepare the team to go play."
Academic Performance Correlates to On-Field Success
Amid a discussion about the Buckeyes' packed offseason schedule from winter workouts, spring practices, and summer conditioning, Day broke down the football team's academic standards for its players and said their performance in the classroom correlates to Ohio State's on-field success.
"Academics are a part of the recruiting process," Day said. "We recruit players who take academics seriously. ... Find out what kind of student and player is, and you usually find out what kind of work ethic that player has. It's not 100%, but if you want to know how someone prepares for a practice or game, you look to see how they prepare for a test. We have tremendous resources here called SASSO. They are excellent. We had another semester in the spring where our entire team had over a 3.0 GPA. For 121 players, that is impressive. It's incredible."
Ryan Day watches Ohio State's offense from behind the line of scrimmage during the Buckeyes' spring game at Ohio Stadium on April 17, 2021. (Photo Credit: Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Ohio State's coaches hold their players accountable academically in several ways. However, Day said one of the most important days of the week is Thursday when the Buckeyes' 10 full-time assistants, some part-time assistants, and him meet in an office and look at each player's grades at every position.
"We go through everybody on the team – every single grade, every single class. It's a long meeting," Day said. "Some of the assistant coaches don't always love it, but it's good to have everybody in that meeting and talk to them. It's accountability. We keep an eye on everyone, and (the coaches are) aware if somebody slips up. Our players responded well. They understand that it's part of the process."
But Wait... There's More
Beyond competitive excellence, the 12-team College Football Playoff, and Ohio State's academic standards, Day talked about much, much more.
Day explained the year-round schedule of a college football coach and the number of hours the Buckeyes' staff spends at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. He shared how coaches treat weekends and days off (when available) and what it looks like for a coach to be on the recruiting trail in the offseason.
Additionally, Day discussed Ohio State's mindset ahead of the 2023 season, the procedure of preseason practices, and the program's process for selecting captains. He also shared how often he steals plays from high school, college, and NFL teams he watches on television if he believes the Buckeyes could use them effectively.
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For as little as $1.99 per month, you can become a member of The 1870 Society and gain access to The Ryan Day Podcast. Each of The 1870 Society’s nine membership tiers, based on monthly contributions, comes with additional perks ranging from an authentic Buckeye Leaf sticker and a photo autographed by a player to tickets and pregame field access to an Ohio State football game and tickets to a “Heisman Lunch” featuring past Ohio State Heisman Trophy winners.
