With the College Football Playoff looming and an eye toward next season, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork still has full confidence in Ryan Day. On Thursday, Bjork voiced her support for Day during the Morning Juice show on local station 97.1 The Fan.
It’s been a bit of a hot day since the Buckeyes lost to unranked Michigan, marking the fourth year in a row they’ve lost The Game. But when asked Thursday if he was confident Day would be back on the sidelines next season, Bjork said he “absolutely” was.
“Coach Day is awesome,” Bjork said. “He’s great to work with. He totally gets it. He loves being a Buckeye. So we’re going to support him at the highest level.”
Bjork is in his first year as OSU’s AD after a five-year stint at Texas A&M. During an interview Thursday, he talked about his connection with Day and the confidence he has in the 45-year-old coach’s approach to the program.
“Coach Day and I hit it off so well. I was really, really impressed. I learned something every time I talked to him. He’s innovative, he recruits at the highest level. great staff,” Bjork said. “There are always improvements. There were improvements after last year, right? You will always be editing things. You will always be making adjustments. You’re always going to make improvements.”
Bjork then added that some of Ohio State’s problems may require them to turn inside.
“If you get fixated on the end result and you don’t have the process completely baked every time, you’re going to lose. The mindset is lost because you’re fixated on one thing. So we have to do this whole ‘championship or bust’ mentality, you want that as a goal, but it has to be about the process,” Bjork said. “I think we need to change some of the conversations a little bit. I think we have to approach things a little differently.”
Despite the loss to Michigan (and an earlier loss to No. 1 Oregon), Ohio State easily made the CFP’s expanded bracket as the No. 8 seed. The Buckeyes will host No. 9 Tennessee on Dec. 21.
“We’re still breathing. We’re still living. The season isn’t over. The book isn’t closed,” Bjork added. “We’ve got to have confidence. I mean, Ohio State should be confident every day. We’re Ohio State.”
“But we also have to make sure we stay true to our values and stick to what we believe in. And so I think it’s a process as much as the end result, and if the process is right, it’s over.” the result will take care of itself.”
If Ohio State beats Tennessee, it will have to face 13-0 Oregon again to have a chance to play in the CFP semifinals — which will certainly take a lot of confidence.