"Michigan planting that flag woke up the MONSTER in Ohio State": Former NFL star raves about Ryan Day's unstoppable run

The Ohio State Buckeyes emerged victorious in their Cotton Bowl Classic showdown against the Texas Longhorns. With this CFP semifinal win, they are now scheduled to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for a chance to lift the natty on January 20.

Head coach Ryan Day will be looking to lift his first national championship with the program this season. Former NFL star Robert Griffin III took to social media to talk about how the Buckeyes were motivated following the flag-planting incident and Ohio Stadium earlier this season.

He tweeted that the incident lit a fire in the Ohio State players. This resulted in them clinching the victory against Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic showdown.

"Michigan planting that flag woke up the MONSTER in Ohio State," RGIII tweeted.

During the regular season in November, Ohio State lost to the Wolverines at home, after which one player tried to plant the banner on the Ohio State logo in the field. This led to a heated scuffle between the two teams, which led to the involvement of the police.

The Big Ten then imposed a fine of $100k on both teams, stating that the post-game brawl violated their sportsmanship policy.

"The Big Ten conference has determined that the actions of both teams following the Michigan-Ohio State football game on Saturday, November 30, 2024, violated the Big Ten sportsmanship policy," representatives of the conference stated in a press meet.

Following that loss, Ryan Day and his team dominated each game in the playoffs. They defeated Tennessee in the first round, after which they thrashed the undefeated Big Ten champs, Oregon, 41-21 in the quarterfinals. Now, this impressive victory over Texas goes to showcase how they are invested in their goal of lifting the natty and being crowned as the best team this season.

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Ryan Day heaps praise on Ohio State DE Jack Sawyer's game-sealing touchdown

The Buckeyes took a 21-14 lead in the fourth quarter when Quinshon Judkins scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown. However, the Longhorns' hopes of a potential comeback were crushed when Jack Sawyer sacked QB Quinn Ewers and made an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

After the game, Ryan Day heaped praise on Sawyer, stating that he cemented himself as a Buckeyes legend with that play.

"I can't say enough on Jack Sawyer. He's a guy who loves being a Buckeyes," Day said. "He loves his teammates, he's done everything we've asked him to do. He's a captain. He's everything that we could possibly ask for in a captain."

"We talked about before the game, do you wanna leave a legacy behind? You become a legend. He just became a legend at Ohio State."

The last time the Buckeyes made it to the national championship game was during the 2020 season when they lost to Alabama. It will be interesting to see if Ryan Day can finally lift his first natty with a program, or will Notre Dame make history on January 20.