2024 Ohio State is the Best Team I've Ever Seen
Yogi's "Empty the Call Sheet" newsletter written on the plane back to LA from BTN Studios in Chicago
A little over 19 years ago I woke up in the middle of the afternoon. The night before I didn’t sleep and around 11am I found myself exhausted so I took a nap, only to wake up to see that the world had moved on from one of the greatest runs in college football history.
It was January 4, 2006, and I was a young assistant on Pete Carroll’s USC staff. Our team had just lost in the BCS National Championship Game to Texas in epic fashion. The Trojans were on the verge of winning 3 straight titles, something that had not been done since the 1930s. When the burnt orange and white confetti rained down at the Rose Bowl, I raced to the locker room to hear that speech from Coach Carroll. After changing, seeing my parents and reflecting with the team, I eventually made it back to my studio apartment in Hermosa Beach. I was spent from my first year coaching and the grind of a season. I was on empty emotionally from the game that just played out. But for some reason, I didn’t want to go to sleep. Deep down I knew that when I woke up, the page would have to turn and the season would officially end.
I woke up today, January 21st and those same feelings came rushing back. I imagined the work that Ryan Day, Chip Kelly, Justin Frye, Will Howard, Jack Sawyer and the rest of the Buckeyes had poured into this specific season. To be able to quantify it is almost impossible and I hate to say “to get it you almost have to experience it” but it’s fairly spot on. The pressure, the expectation, the time, the sacrifice, the time away from your actual family, etc is hard to explain. And when coaches are making north of seven figures, no one wants to hear how hard their job is.
But one thing continued to ring in my head as I packed up to hop on a flight for the final time this season: Ohio State has won 3 National titles in the last 50 years. It was a line that Ryan Day referenced on our Big Ten Network set postgame and it struck a chord that I couldn’t shake.
On one hand it seems like Ohio State wins it every few years, but reality paints a much different picture. 3 titles in the last 50 years!
Allowing that fact to sink in may give all of us who love college football some perspective. Each offseason a team gains hype and each fall that steam grows and also fades (hello Pitt, Ole Miss, Miami and others). The season is a journey, or as Ohio State likes to say, a “story” that is often unpredictable. And to finish it hoisting a trophy is part talent, part luck, and part leadership.
In 2024-25, the Buckeye’s had it all.
A few specific takeaways from the game:
Chip Kelly’s call on 3 & 11 was the right call and to play with that type of trust and freedom was the one thing that Ohio State struggled with in the regular season from my lens. They seemed tight at times, almost too tight. I’ve talked about “Exhale Wins” many times on the Y-Option podcast and how premier teams sometimes feel the relief of a win more than the elation of a win. Last night, the Buckeyes were switched on, played in the absence of fear and when it mattered most – let it rip! And congrats to Chip. He’s one of my favorite humans in the business and a man who tapped back into his WHY in the coaching profession.
Plus 2. Urban Meyer shared a story in our pregame show about a text he received from Ryan Day that simply read “+2.” I dug into that a little bit during the game and loved the detail behind that concept. Ohio State has preached for years that they ask players to go from Point A to Point B as hard and fast as they can for 4-6 seconds…and to go +2. Meaning, can you give 2 extra reps in the weight room, run 2 extra yards past the line in conditioning, finish the tackle with 2 extra steps, etc. All night that concept was on display in a big time way.
Bruce Feldman may have written the most impactful piece regarding the CFP title game in The Athletic. Reading about the Day family and how they have navigated serious threats, criticism and mounting pressure from the Buckeye fan base will remind all of us that coaches and their families are humans too.
This Ohio State team is the most talented team my eyes have ever seen. I’m constantly comparing how teams practice & their talent to that USC team from 2005-06 that lost to Texas. I’ve yet to see a more talented team – until the past month. Ohio State looked the part back in training camp, but all season long they never seemed to unlock that true potential. Ryan Day’s team was finally able to do just that in the College Football Playoff, as they beat four of the top teams in the nation.
College football players can get paid and still be special young men. There seems to be a narrative out there about spoiled players and that NIL is ruining college football. I disagree. After being around Oregon, Ohio State and Texas in this year's CFP, I must say that it’s refreshing how humble and thoughtful the elite rosters are. Coincidence? I think not.
Portal vs high school recruiting/development discussion. It’s a worthwhile conversation and I am curious where you net out? On one hand, Ohio State and Notre Dame have majored in high school recruiting and minored in the portal. While some of their most impactful players were new additions, the debate rages on – what’s the best path? For blue bloods, I think it’s the model that we watched Monday night. For teams like ASU and Colorado, turning over a roster with the portal should be deemed a massive success over the last two years. Or maybe there is no right answer and it’s all about culture and coaching once the players are on campus? An off-season conversation at Y-Option coming soon.
How about the Paris Musketeers! Your favorite European League of Football team made global news this past week with the hiring of long-time NFL coach Jack Del Rio. As a part-owner of the team, I’m so enthused with our hire and the future of football around the globe. Give our team a follow and stay tuned for some impressive news coming soon…
Flying home today, I’m completing my 17th season covering this great game as an analyst and I'm as enthused and grateful as ever. I must first thank my wife Amy and our two boys Zayn and Makaiye. Their support of my career and understanding that I get to live out a childhood dream is never lost on me. Without them and that love, I’d surely be lost.
I read an article prior to this season that agency and gratitude are the two biggest factors in a positive mental state. Agency means that one needs to own their decisions and gratitude means being connected not only to the present moment but also having gratitude for the ones that are coming. Meditation and fitness were my keys to getting through a long season and I’d highly recommend it.
Finally, my first flight was on July 6th to kick off media days in 100+ degree temperatures in Las Vegas and the final one is today, January 21st departing from -2 degrees in Chicago. Reflecting back, I'm so proud of choosing to start Y-Option, so grateful for new teammates while pouring into the broadcast booth and studio once again, and immense gratitude for the people who have been on this journey with me.
So thank you all who are a part of this Y-Option community, and my community outside of college football. Without you all none of this is possible.
Enjoy your off-season and stay steady amid a world that is changing on and off the field.
Much love,
Yogi
Great one yogi on ohio state
Sincere Question: Would Matt, Reggie & Dwayne have lost to 2024 Michigan?