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Ryan Day rejects label of ‘defending’ national champion: ‘We’re attacking’
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Don’t tell Ryan Day that his Ohio State team is the defending national champion. Day says his Buckeyes are on the attack in 2025.
The OSU head coach made the comment during Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
"We're not 'defending' anything. They can't take the national championship away. We're attacking." — Ryan Day
— Dave Biddle (@davebiddle) July 22, 2025
Coaches are expected to downplay their team’s status of defending champion. Every coach wants their squad to be hungry entering the new season. Big Ten media members likely did Day a huge favor this week.
While the Big Ten does not conduct an official preseason poll at Media Days anymore, the Cleveland.com poll of beat writers and national media members is recognized as the official unofficial poll.
Penn State edged Ohio State as the 2025 favorite in the Cleveland.com poll to finish first in the Big Ten standings. One can expect the OSU staff is using Penn State’s status as the favorite as a motivating message for the Buckeyes, giving them something to prove this fall.
It also goes without saying that the defending national champs are plenty hungry when it comes to The Game. The Buckeyes have made it clear that they need to end the losing streak with their arch rivals.
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.