Ohio State AD Ross Bjork delivers message to alumni after Buckeyes' College Football Playoff exit

Looking to repeat as national champion, Ohio State came up short after a quarterfinal exit in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes fell to Miami in the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, and athletics director Ross Bjork had a message for alumni on Friday.

Ohio State went undefeated in the regular season, including a rivalry win over Michigan for the first time since 2019 to secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship. However, the Buckeyes fell to Indiana in the title game to become the No. 2 seed in the CFP, and the season came to an end against Miami on Wednesday.

After the early exit, Bjork penned a message expressing confidence in the program, as well as head coach Ryan Day. He also pointed to the football program’s consistency as a reason for excitement about the future.

“When our Ohio State Football season doesn’t end the way we expected, it’s hard to overcome the sting, but it’s also healthy and productive to reflect and focus on who we are as Buckeyes,” Bjork wrote. “Our players and coaches are the hardest working group in the country and when the results don’t end our way, it hurts. Our players represent Ohio State in a first class manner on and off the field and Coach Day is the best leader in college football and sets the foundation of embracing high expectations while also executing the fundamentals of what it takes to be at the pinnacle of college football.

“Every program in the country craves to have the long-term consistency and the brand power that has been established here in Columbus. As we move ahead, the Circle of Care is well established and our program is build on the People, the Tradition, and the Excellence and those core values will never change. … The campaign to get better never stops, the journey into 2026 is only beginning, and there is no ceiling on the upside that lies ahead for our entire athletics program.”

Miami took a 14-0 lead into halftime at the Cotton Bowl, but Ohio State made a statement on its first possession of the second half, which ended with a Bo Jackson rushing touchdown. After a Hurricanes field goal, the Buckeyes got on the board again when Jeremiah Smith hauled in a pass from Julian Sayin on fourth down to make it a 17-14 ballgame.

That score held from there after Ohio State was forced to punt, and Miami sealed the victory with a CharMar Brown touchdown with 55 seconds to go. It sent the Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff semifinal while the Buckeyes turned their attention to the offseason.