Everything Ryan Day said following Ohio State's Rose Bowl announcement

Ohio State won’t get to play for a national championship—the Buckeyes ranked 6th in the final College Football Playoff rankings—but it will still have something illustrious to play for at the end of its season: a Rose Bowl.

With Michigan representing the league in its first CFP appearance, the Big Ten’s flag-bearer for years will play for the Big Ten’s prized asset. The Buckeyes are back in The Granddaddy of Them All.

Ohio State has made 15 appearances in the Rose Bowl game, holding an 8-7 record. It’ll play Utah this season, the 11th-ranked team in the final CFP rankings and the champions of the Pac-12. Ohio State last played for a Rose Bowl in 2019 (2018 season), when it beat Washington 28-23. The Buckeyes have won 3 straight Rose Bowl appearances dating back to 1997.

It’s almost certainly not the result coach Ryan Day and his team had been dreaming of even 2 weeks ago, but it’s nevertheless a solid consolation prize.

Ohio State entered a regular-season finale matchup with Michigan as the No. 2 team in the country, holding just 1 loss, and looking at a potential “win and you’re in” scenario. Beat the Wolverines, as the Buckeyes had done in the previous 8 meetings, and they would have played for a Big Ten championship. Given Iowa’s 42-3 drubbing at the hands of Michigan in Saturday’s Big Ten title match, the Buckeyes surely would have been seen as favorites to make it to another CFP. Instead, they’re 10-2 and sit just on the outside of the 4-team field.

Day, meeting with members of the media Sunday, discussed that, the team’s Rose Bowl matchup, and more. Here are the highlights:

Day on not making CFP: "I don't need any more motivation, but certainly disappointing not seeing our name."

— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) December 5, 2021

Day on losing to Michigan: "It's tough. The rivalry game is a rivalry game for a reason. When you don't win, it's hard to swallow.,, It's going to hurt for a while."

— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) December 5, 2021

On Josh Gattis's comments that Ohio State isn't a tough team, Ryan Day says "I don't really think about that much at all."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021

Day says that after the Michigan loss, the "No. 1 thing we recognize" is that the team must be able to run the ball and stop the run.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021

Ryan Day on Ohio State's motivation for the Rose Bowl: "Everyone's hurting from the last game, this is an opportunity to change that a bit."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021

Day said that no OSU player has said he plans to opt out of the Rose Bowl as of yet.

— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) December 5, 2021

When asked about his plans for the team's defensive coordinator position, Day says the Buckeyes are focused on the bowl game and focused on recruiting at this time.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021

Ryan Day on Quinn Ewers: "He was in a very unique situation, for sure. … We certainly wish him nothing but the best of luck."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021

On Quinn Ewers' decision to transfer, Ryan Day says "it kind of caught me a little bit, for sure. Caught me off guard."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021

Ryan Day says Craig Young, who entered the transfer portal Saturday, "wanted an opportunity to play more." Day says "as coaches it's kind of hard sometimes, but we're gonna have to adapt and move forward."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021

Ryan Day on Ohio State’s recruiting class of 2022: “I feel really good about our class right now.” Buckeyes currently have 17 commits, Day says they’re looking to add a few more.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 5, 2021

https://twitter.com/ColinGay17/status/1467590416329428993

Day said it's a "loser's lament" to talk about how many players were ill for the Michigan game, but said "It was significant in the game. But it doesn't really matter."

— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) December 5, 2021

Day said the Michigan game was a combination of the Wolverines playing well and OSU not playing well. Said he did not watch the Big Ten championship game. (Lucky him.)

— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) December 5, 2021

Ryan Day on C.J. Stroud potentially being a Heisman finalist: “I think he deserves to be in New York.”

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 5, 2021

Day says he did not watch the Pac-12 Championship Game and has not seen much film on Utah.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 5, 2021