Ohio State senior defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) kisses the National Championship trophy after the Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 34-23 Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor
The Buckeyes’ journey to the national title started long before their season opener against Akron in August 2024.
On Dec. 29, 2023, Ohio State suffered a disappointing 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
Even before the bowl game, Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer expressed to head coach Ryan Day and his team that he’d be returning for his senior season.
Sawyer hoped many of his teammates in the recruiting class of 2021 would follow suit. And though many other upperclassmen jumped ship immediately, the idea to return for a final season wasn’t as straightforward for others, especially those who hadn’t experienced a major team achievement since the 2020 Big Ten Championship.
Just days before the deadline to declare for the NFL draft, the Pickerington, Ohio, native received a call from offensive lineman Donovan Jackson.
“He’s like, ‘Jack, I think I gotta, I gotta go; I gotta leave. It’s too good of a [draft] grade not to go,’” Sawyer said. “[I said] ‘Man, I completely understand. Donnie, we love you. We’re gonna miss you.’”
Jackson took a few nights to sleep on it. And just days after he told Sawyer he wouldn’t be returning, Sawyer got another call.
“Donnie called me at 7 a.m. and he’s crying,” Sawyer said. “He’s like, ‘I’m coming back.’ I’m like, ‘What? You just told me nine hours ago you’re leaving.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah. I’ve prayed about it, [talked to] my family. I can’t leave you guys all behind.’”
On Jan. 10, 2024, Jackson officially announced his return to the Buckeyes, citing that “there is still more to do,” via an X post.
Jackson’s flip to forgo the draft and return for a final year at Ohio State was the final domino to fall, ensuring the Buckeyes would return nearly all of their eligible returning starters. And though nobody knew it yet, with injuries to two starting linemen during the regular season, the decision proved to be one of the most impactful in the Buckeyes’ run.
Ohio State’s journey to winning the National Championship wasn’t a straight-line drive, but rather a winding journey full of roadblocks, twists and turns.
And without the early discussions about returning and the determination of a senior class committed to finishing what its members started, the Buckeyes might’ve never embarked on the rollercoaster ride that ultimately led them to the national title.
After Ohio State officially returned nearly 15 starters, the transfers began to roll in. In the span of a week, quarterback Will Howard, center Seth McLaughlin and running back Quinshon Judkins committed. To top it off, a week and a half later, the top player in the transfer portal, safety Caleb Downs, announced his transfer to Ohio State.
Widely regarded as the best returning class in the country, combined with high-profile transfer splashes and millions spent on Name, Image and Likeness deals, the team was dubbed the “20 million dollar roster.”
Despite the preseason hype and dominant play throughout most of the season, Ohio State was practically written off two separate times.
The first came after a heartbreaking 32-31 loss against Oregon at Autzen Stadium Oct. 12, 2024. And though the failure to beat the Ducks was a challenging hump to overcome, the second — a 13-10 loss to rival Michigan Nov. 30, 2024 — was an even tougher pill to swallow.
Day acknowledged the loss to the Wolverines was difficult on his team, himself and his family. However, he said he doesn’t measure joy and success by a single game, noting that he’s always proud of his Buckeyes, regardless of the outcome.
“I mean, if you define your happiness by the results, then, yeah, you can find yourself focusing on those things,” Day said in his CFP Champions press conference Tuesday. “I don’t. I’m just as proud of this team, no matter what happened.”
After the crushing defeat at the hands of Michigan, the Buckeyes found themselves as the No. 8 seed in the inaugural 12-team CFP, needing four straight wins to be crowned champions.
Ohio State faced a split in the road: either let adversity define their season, or let their response to adversity define their season. The Buckeyes chose the latter, and did so in emphatic fashion.
Day emphasized how his team overcame adversity time and time again this season, believing that to be what separated this team from that of years past.
“Nothing great was ever achieved without going through adversity along the way, and that’s what makes this team special,” Day said in his Tuesday press conference.
The Buckeyes began their run with a matchup against the SEC’s Tennessee Volunteers in the first-ever December game at the ‘Shoe. Ohio State raced out to a 21-0 first quarter lead and cruised to a 42-17 victory powered by two touchdown performances from wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Following their first-round triumph, the Buckeyes headed to Pasadena, California, to avenge their previous loss to No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks were swept up in an early scarlet and gray maelstrom, trailing 34-0 by the second quarter and allowing Ohio State to cruise to a 41-21 Rose Bowl win.
Ohio State then faced the Longhorns in Arlington, Texas, for the Cotton Bowl, which — despite being in a neutral venue — Day called a “road game” due to the overwhelming presence of Texas fans.
And though it looked grim for the Buckeyes late in the game, on Texas’ final scoring opportunity, Sawyer stripped Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, taking the fumble back 83 yards for a touchdown to seal Ohio State’s 28-14 victory.
Ohio State culminated its season with a 34-23 championship-winning performance over Notre Dame, forever cementing the Buckeyes in history.
The win marked the Buckeyes’ third-straight victory over an AP top-five team, setting a single-season record with five such wins and spurring Day to call the run the greatest of all time.
“It can be argued that this was the best run in the history of college football,” Day said in his Tuesday press conference.
After the game, Sawyer appeared at a loss for words, but said he was honored to leave a legacy with the Buckeyes and bring a championship back to Columbus.
“To do what we’re doing right now, [what] we just did, and [to] leave a legacy that we just left is something that you can’t put into words how much it means,” Sawyer said in his CFP National Championship post-game press conference Monday.
Howard shared a similar testament.
“There were ups and downs; there were trials and tribulations,” Howard said in his Tuesday press conference. “Ultimately, we were able to overcome them and win the big one at the end.”
