It was all smiles for Ryan Day, Will Howard and Jack Sawyer at the Cotton Bowl postgame press conference.
The Ohio State head coach, quarterback and defensive end represented the Buckeyes in the media room at AT&T Stadium. The trio answered questions from gathered reporters about their team's win over Texas, which included a crucial fourth-down conversion from Howard and an 83-yard scoop-and-score from Sawyer.
Here is a quick recap of the press conference from Dallas:
Ryan Day
Opening Statement
"I want to give Coach Sark and his staff and his team a lot of credit. That's a very good team. I have a lot of respect for the way he goes about his business. He's got an unbelievable reputation in the coaching community. His team played very, very hard today. That was a very well-fought battle. They're a very good team and had a great season. It came down to the fourth quarter. I believe the resilience that we've had to show throughout the entire season and through some of these guys' careers has led us to this opportunity to win this game and go play for a national championship.
"We talked before the game about, 'How do you leave a legacy and become your own legend?' There are some guys on this team today that I believe will become legends in Ohio State history. We've also talked about how we want to keep this team together. It's a great team. They've been through a lot. They're resilient. They're great people. They do everything the right way. Now they get 10 more days together and an opportunity to tell their story if they go win one more. That's really exciting.
"Going back on the game, (it was) gritty, tough. We knew it was gonna be that way. Very good opponent. Just the way that we were able to change the momentum in the fourth quarter. Then, the ball is all the way down at the 1-yard line. We get a stop there, get our pads down, knock it back. Then, they go to the perimeter with it, and (there was a) really great play for a TFL. And then the third-down stop. And then obviously what happened on fourth down by Jack just symbolizes not only his career but our team and general and the toughness. The clutch play right there was something that I’m sure the whole city of Columbus exploded and all Buckeye Nation during that play.”
“I believe the resilience that we've had to show throughout the entire season and through some of these guys' careers has led us to this opportunity to win this game and go play for a national championship.”– Ryan Day on ohio state's cotton bowl win
On the leadership in Ohio State’s locker room
“Well, I think when you look at the guys that we have in our program, you see guys who are tough, you see guys who are resilient, you see guys who care about each other, you see guys that love being Buckeyes. Both (Will Howard and Jack Sawyer) have two different stories. (Howard) just got here, but when I see him get around our team, when I saw him on stage tonight, when I saw him embracing everybody in the locker room — this guy loves his teammates. He’s only been here a year, but in such a short period of time he’s made such an amazing impact on our team. He’s made an impact on me. There’s been times when I’m coming to work, and maybe I’m down, maybe I’m stressed, maybe I’m whatever, and this guy picks me up. He has an amazing approach to life. I told his parents that. They’ve done a great job with him, but he’s also done it himself, the positive mindset he has. When we lost Seth McLaughlin in practice, it was a really tough loss for us. Seth was doing a great job, and he and Seth had a great relationship. In that practice, Will showed me some of the best leadership I have ever seen.
"And (Sawyer), we can argue about who loves being a Buckeye more, but this is somebody who grew up in Columbus, who has always wanted to be a Buckeye, who has always wanted a moment like this — to see him get the moment he had today, I mean he’s become like family to me, my wife and my kids. This is just two guys. Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, Cody Simon, Emeka Egbuka, Lathan Ransom, Donovan Jackson — the story of this team has yet to be told.
"No great accomplishments are ever achieved without going through adversity. That’s just the truth. We’ve gone through our share of adversity. That’s life. I’ve told those guys that. We’re not focused on what’s coming down the road. We’re not focused on what happened in the past. We’re focused on right now and being right where we are. At the end, we want to be able to tell the story of this team. That’s really what this team is focused on right now.”
On Jack Sawyer
“I couldn’t be prouder. I couldn’t be prouder. I just love stories of guys who go through difficult times, stay loyal, defend the people they love the most and then come out the back end. Maurice Clarett is with us and around the program now. I love guys who go through difficult times, stay strong, defend who they love and then come out the back end. You got one right here (in Sawyer). This guy was never strong than when we needed him most during difficult times. We’ve been through difficult times together. That’s how you know. How do you know about someone’s character? When you go through tough times together. Everything’s easy when things are going well. Everyone can be a frontrunner.
"We talk about those things because our story has been — the last couple of years — has been ups and downs. But to see the team play the way they did in the fourth quarter today, I think that’s what that’s relevant. That’s why we’re talking about it. Without going through those things, we wouldn’t have come through the way we did in the fourth quarter. Now we have an opportunity to play for a national championship. I couldn’t be prouder. I couldn’t be. But we got to finish this thing. They know it. They know it. There’s so many great stories to be told.”
“Now we have an opportunity to play for a national championship. I couldn’t be prouder. I couldn’t be. But we got to finish this thing. They know it. They know it. There’s so many great stories to be told.”– Ryan Day on what will motivate ohio state in the cfp title game
Will Howard
On his fourth-down conversion, Jack Sawyer’s scoop-and-score
“That fourth down was huge, man. They came out and gave us a good look for the play. The O-line blocked it up well. I fell on purpose — no, I’m joking. I didn’t fall on purpose. It should have been a dang touchdown. I was trying to keep a couple of seconds on the clock — no, I’m joking. It was a great play and a statement drive. We needed that. We had been beating ourselves all day with penalties and getting behind the sticks, and that was a statement drive. The O-line did a heck of a job on that drive. I think the guys stepped up and made plays. Obviously, what the defense did on the next drive sealed it, but they bailed us out all game. I can’t say enough good things about (Jack Sawyer) and about our whole defense. They played their tails off today.”
On Texas’ game plan to stop Jeremiah Smith
“We knew that they were gonna be keying him. Obviously, the first two rounds of the playoffs, he went off. We knew that they were gonna do something to try to take him away. They clouded him. They doubled him. They were finding different ways to get two guys over top of him. All that means is we need to be smart and get the ball to other guys. Carnell (Tate) stepped up, made some great plays The running backs did a great job. The tight ends had some great catches. Texas, what they do on defense, they like to keep a shell on things and make you work the game, get the ball down the field methodically. Credit to them. They got a great defense. They got some dudes. But when it came down to it in the fourth quarter, we did what we had to do. The defense did a hell of a job.”
On Ohio State's mindset entering the national championship
“We’re fighting for another chance to wear this jersey again and to be with this group again. … The only thing I wish I could go back and do different about my time here is I wish I had more time. I wish I had more time with Coach Day. I’ve gotten so much better because of him and Coach Kelly and because of Billy (Homer) and just being here. I’ve gotten to be so close with guys like Jack (Sawyer) and Emeka (Egbuka) and Seth (McLaughlin) and all these guys. I only had one year with them. I wish I had a chance to be with these guys longer. We’re trying to draw this thing out as long as we can. Here we are, man. But the job’s not finished. We got to go out there and finish this thing. It feels great. It feels great to beat those guys, especially this year, because they had a great team. … But man, the job’s not finished. They were standing in our way today.”
“It feels great to beat (Texas), especially this year, because they had a great team. … But man, the job’s not finished. They were standing in our way today.”– Will Howard on his team's mindset entering the title game
Jack Sawyer
On his scoop and score
“The coaches put us in great spots all game long. Like Coach Day said, that’s a really good football team that we just played. Hats go off to them and Coach Sark and Quinn (Ewers). They’re a great team. They’ll be back here, I’m sure, for the next couple of years. God is great. He put me in a great position to make a play. I was fortunate enough to do that. The resilience of this team from a month ago has been incredible. It’s been led by (Ryan Day and Will Howard). The whole team embodies the role because our leader (Day) is like that. I’ve said it a million times, but man, we sat here last year with a sore taste in our mouths. We heard a lot of things. We came back and heard the same things a month ago. We kept swinging because this guy next to us shows up each day to work and loves each and every one of us so much. He’s the most resilient guy I’ve ever been around. That’s the reason you see this team fight so hard every week.”
On what went through his mind as he ran 83 yards for his touchdown
“Shit, I guess just don’t fall like Will did. I’m joking. I’m kidding. But seriously, I hit about the 30, and I look back, and I’m like, ‘I hope I got some blockers. I’m running out of steam here.’ But they were running with me side by side. That just speaks volumes to who this team is, too. We always have each other’s backs. It was a special moment. I love the state of Ohio. I love Ohio State football. Man, like I said a million times after the game, God is great. He’s put this team in such a great spot. I’m just so fortunate to play in the national championship my last year here.”
On Ohio State’s game plan for the Texas offense
“They’re a great team. They’ve got a great scheme. I give Coach Knowles and Coach Day a lot of credit for how they schemed them up. They made a lot of big plays, too. They punched us in the mouth a lot of times throughout the game. … The team who executed the most and prepared the best coming into the game was gonna win. We were fortunate enough to execute.”
On what it means to score the game-winning touchdown for Ohio State
“I’m just so thankful to play for this coach and this team each and every week. We get 10 more days with each other, and that’s what means the most to me. We’re going to compete for a national championship now, which is something I’ve always dreamed of bringing back to Columbus since I was a little kid, throwing the football in the backyard with my dad with an Ohio State jersey on. I’m just really looking forward to that. I was fortunate to make a big-time play like a lot of guys did and like (Will Howard) did all night long. He responded to adversity throughout the game, too. (Will Howard) is such a good leader for this team. He runs the show on offense. I’m just so proud of the way he played, the offense played. They battled through adversity all game long and all year long. We got a good challenge in Notre Dame, who is a great team. That’s what I’m most looking forward to.”
“We’re going to compete for a national championship now, which is something I’ve always dreamed of bringing back to Columbus since I was a little kid, throwing the football in the backyard with my dad with an Ohio State jersey on.”– Jack Sawyer on playing for a national title
