'We need to have a hard look": Ryan Day sends stern message to college football committee as teams face a challenging 2025 season

Ryan Day and Ohio State came out on top of the first 12-team College Football Playoff, pushing through a gauntlet that stretched longer than any title-winning team. While they'll gladly take the trophy, Day believes there's a way to make the timing of the format work more smoothly.

That involves, in no small part, adjusting the sport's schedule to make it a less arduous path for the student-athletes involved.

"Looking at the calendar, I really think CFP needs to take a hard look at this calendar because of the fact that we had 145 guys on our team and incoming players and transfer guys coming in with our team for two weeks. I mean, there were some positive things but there was a lot of things that were challenging," Day told Morning Juice, a sports talk show on Columbus' 97.1 The Fan, on Friday.

"I really think we need to take a hard look at where we're playing this championshp game and moving everything to where the season should be over before classes start in the spring semester."

How Ryan Day and Ohio State forged through their long schedule

Ryan Day credited the Buckeyes' associated athletic director for football sports performance, Mickey Mariotti, for helping their team push through a challenging schedule.

"I feel like we really adapted well to some of the changes that have happened over the last two years," Day said. "I feel like Mick did a great job. The coaching staff and players did a great job of playing really fast down the stretch. We were fresh, we were playing fast, and we were seeking contact late in the season and I think that was very important." (4:38)

Mariotti is someone Day and the coaching staff turn to for strength and conditioning training. He's now been a head sports performance coach for four teams that have lifted a national title trophy, having worked under Urban Meyer at Florida, as well.

Ryan Day pointed out that the number of games the teams play deep into the College Football Playoff is similar to an NFL schedule.

"I think we need to look towards that model and make sure that we're looking at it through that lens of the entire year," Day said. "Ten years ago, spring football was 16 or 15 hard, hard practices. I think we need to take a look at that.

"Now, our young guys need work, but some of the older guys who have played a lot of football ... we need to treat them a little bit different."

How Ohio State manages its roster's workload during the offseason will be something to watch as they prepare to open next season against Arch Manning and Texas.