Scarlet Sunrise: Finishing the right way, building momentum for 2024 key part of Cotton Bowl prep

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Finishing the right way, building momentum for 2024 key part of Cotton Bowl prep

Ohio State finds itself in a similar position as it was in ahead of a 2021 trip to the Rose Bowl. That’s the only other season during Ryan Day’s now-five-year head coaching tenure that the Buckeyes have missed out on the College Football Playoff.

The gap between a defeat to Michigan in the regular season finale and a New Year’s Six bowl game is a weird one, especially because — at a school like Ohio State — anything less than a CFP berth is hardly celebrated like it would be by most programs in the country.

Day was asked if he sees this three-week filler as the end of one season or the start of another.

“A little of both,” he said Sunday. “I think we had the situation a couple of years ago in the Rose Bowl, and it did build some momentum into the next year. We always want to be playing for a championship this time of year, but we’re gonna finish things and do things the right way.

“Bowl practice is an opportunity for some of the younger guys to get out there and — almost like a spring practice — to continue to develop some of those young guys.”

Day added: “We’ll finish this thing the right way.”

Ohio State has already had 12 players enter the transfer portal. That number will likely increase in the coming days, as the portal only opened Monday. That group includes starting quarterback Kyle McCord and starting wide receiver Julian Fleming.

The Buckeyes are expected to have a quite a few opt-outs as well, as a bunch of talent is set for an exodus to the NFL Draft.

The prospect of the transfer portal and the draft creates some difficult conversations in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Those conversations, combined with the grief from the Michigan loss, have made for a tough week and a half at Ohio State.

“I think a lot of our guys were certainly disappointed last week,” Day said. “We did have a practice last week. We got together, we had a team meeting. And we knew that there was going to be a new target this weekend. We weren’t sure what it was going to be. There’s a lot of prideful guys on our team.”

Day reiterated: “And so they’re gonna use this opportunity to either finish things out the right way or build momentum for next year.”

So what does momentum look like? Well, in 2021, it took the shape of quarterback C.J. Stroud and wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba rewriting the Buckeyes’ record book and a handful of Rose Bowl records in a come-from-behind win over Utah. Stroud threw for six touchdowns and 573 yards.

Smith-Njigba hauled in 15 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Marvin Harrison Jr. had his breakout game, too, also finding the end zone three times.

Young offensive playmakers will have the chance to make a statement this time around. With McCord in the portal, Devin Brown is next in line to start at quarterback for the Buckeyes. If Harrison opts out, Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss could be thrust into high-profile receiving roles against Missouri. Another spot would be freed up if Emeka Egbuka decides to leave for the draft as well.

And that’s just scratching the surface of how different Ohio State will likely look in the Cotton Bowl.

Day reflected on his Buckeyes’ approach to the Rose Bowl two seasons ago, and what he liked about it.

“I thought the focus was on competing and getting better every day in practice. It wasn’t as much about the game planning, although, as we got closer, we really dove into that,” Day explained. “It was more about getting guys reps and getting guys up to speed and really focusing on fundamentals. It’s been a rough week here, and I want to make sure that when we go into the [Cotton Bowl], these guys are going to at least enjoy the fact that they’re going to be in Dallas, it’s Christmas and those type of things.

“So I want to do everything we can — the Cotton Bowl does a great job — to make sure they’re enjoying the experience, too. I think we did a good job of that in the Rose Bowl. And so we’ll do that again here in the Cotton Bowl. But we also know we’re there for one reason, and that’s to win a game. So I think it’s that balance that we did a nice job in that game.”

Ryan Day addresses how Buckeyes handle departures in transfer portal, roster movement

The transfer portal has changed drastically during Ryan Day’s Ohio State head coaching run. It’s transformed into a head-turning operation that mirrors free agency in pro sports. Every school is now affected by it in one way or another.

So when a departure happens, the Buckeyes aren’t always sounding the alarm like they used to.

“I’d say three or four years ago, someone enters the portal, you’re like ‘what’s going on?’ Now, I think maybe somebody said there were 400 some odd in the portal on Day One. This year, it’ll be even more,” Day said Sunday, a day before the transfer portal opened.

“These guys have an opportunity to go out and see what their options are on a yearly basis. And so that’s what it is and so we’ll adapt with it. But yeah, it’s much different, even than it was a year or two ago, I would say.”

By approximately 10 p.m. E.T. on the first day of the 30-day portal window in the 2023-24 cycle, 1,183 FBS players had entered the portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

For the full story on Day’s view of the portal and an uptick in Ohio State players leaving, head on over here.

RELATED

• Ryan Day, Ohio State open to adding ‘right people who fit the program’ from transfer portal

Pair of Buckeyes defenders accept Senior Bowl invitations

Fifth-year linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and sixth-year safety Josh Proctor have both accepted invitations to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

They’re set to play in the Feb. 3 pre-draft all-star game in Mobile, Alabama, where they’ll hope to boost their respective draft stocks.

Eichenberg has led the Buckeyes in total tackles and solo tackles each of the last two seasons. The two-time Ohio State captain emerged as the quarterback of the defense under coordinator Jim Knowles. Proctor had a roller coaster career in Columbus, but a resurgent sixth season — complete with a pair of memorable game-changing plays — has put him in position to hear his name called in next year’s draft.

For more on Eichenberg, go here. And for more on Proctor, go here.

Transfer tracker: Breaking down Buckeyes moves, philosophy in transfer portal

Having trouble keeping track of all of Ohio State’s transfer portal departures?

Lettermen Row has you covered.

The Buckeyes have already seen 12 of their players hit the portal — including starting quarterback Kyle McCord and starting wide receiver Julian Fleming — and there could be more on the way soon.

Follow along here to stay up to date.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 360 days

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