Rose Bowl Postgame Updates: Ryan Day, Buckeyes Talk Impressive Playoff Win Against No. 1 Ducks

PASADENA, Ca. — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with reporters following the Buckeyes’ impressive 41-21 win over the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl. The win moves Ohio State into the College Football Playoff semifinals. Day discussed the win, what went into it, and much more. Also speaking with reporters were Rose Bowl Offensive Player of the Game Jeremiah Smith and Rose Bowl Defensive Player of the Game Cody Simon. The highlights of everything that was said can be found below.

Ryan Day

• On the addition of Chip Kelly this season: He called a great game and the offensive staff put a great plan together, but it was about the players making plays. “I thought Chip Kelly called an aggressive game and certainly had a smile on his face after.”
• What’s this been like for you? In this game there are ups and downs along the way. When things are going well, you hug the guys you love the most, and when things aren’t going well, you hug them harder. “And you just hang in there and keep swinging.” When you surround yourself with people of great character, you find yourself working through difficult times.
• This team has worked hard to stay together. “A lot of football ahead of us.”
• On Jeremiah Smith’s impact and how he mirrors Marvin Harrison, Jr.: It’s natural to draw comparisons and categorize people based on who has come before. “Jeremiah is his own person.” He wanted to make an impact as a freshman. He has earned the respect of his teammates because of his work ethic. He doesn’t talk a whole lot, but when he does, people listen. His maturity physically, mentally, and emotionally has allowed him to play like this. He’s a freshman, so to be playing like this at the end of the season speaks to his maturity.
• Are there some aspects of the loss to Michigan that are proving beneficial now? “It’s hard for me to say something like that, but I know that you’re a sum of your experiences.” This team has had great wins and tough losses. “We have learned from those.”
• “I’m very, very proud of our staff. I’m very, very proud of our players, but we’re far from done.”
• On playing free, what’s been the shift in mindset: “I don’t know.” You make adjustments along the way, but they really focused on their execution after the regular season. Meetings, walk-throughs, practices, everything. Even if it’s just one little tip. They’ve also been more situationally aware. And they’re doing their job. The throwback to Jeremiah Smith was an example of that because it required everybody executing their respective jobs. Plus they’re playing really hard right now too.
• Any personal pride in winning these two playoff games? Every game is big at Ohio State, but the most important thing is that this team gets a chance to play together another week.
• “These are the guys who are the warriors and are doing it on the field. I just can’t say enough about these guys.”
• What does it mean to win the Rose Bowl knowing there is still more football to be played: “I think for us, we literally are taking it one week at a time, but we are — I keep saying it — we’re fighting to keep this team together. I think that we believe that when we’re executing at a high level, we can play with anybody in the country.”
• They’re headed back to Columbus tonight and then getting to work on Texas.
• On Jack Sawyer’s play: “Yeah, I can’t say enough about Jack as a leader, as a person. He really stands for what it means to be a Buckeye.” It’s showing late in the season and he’s a big reason they won today.

Jeremiah Smith

• On the differences between this game and the first time against Oregon: They had a bad taste in their mouth after the first game, but they worked the issues. They knew they had to get the ball on the perimeter and take shots and win their one-on-one matchups.
• “Will does a great job in practice just trusting us, just throwing the ball out there.” They tell him to throw the ball out there and they’ll make him look good. “I feed off

Cody Simon

• On the differences between this game and the first time against Oregon: They changed their attitude and mentality. There were a lot of plays in the first game where they weren’t even aligned defensively. They made changes and are better for it now. “It’s all about execution. No matter who’s across the ball, you have to do your job. If you do your job, you’ll like the result.
• How have you worked with the team on balancing emotion: “That’s probably the biggest part about football.” You have to get your body, mind, and spirit right. You have to get your mind right. Obviously there was a lot of emotion surrounding the game but it really is just about doing your job.

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