One thing college football fans can agree on: Ohio State’s 2024 national championship has to be the best natty of all time. Well, at least in the modern era of college football. After losing to Michigan in rivalry week, Ryan Day’s Buckeyes turned into perfectionists. They decided to roll over anybody and everybody on their way to the national title, beating the Big Ten champions, the independent Irish, and two SEC giants. According to Will Howard, the former Buckeyes QB, it’s never enough for Ryan Day.

On November 9, Ohio State super-fan page ‘TMB237’ hopped on X and shared a small preview from ‘Buckeye Brotherhood’: “From ‘Buckeye Brotherhood’ William Howard talking about early in spring after he arrived. Day is a mad man🤣”. The narration proceeds as follows: when Will Howard transferred from Kansas State to Ohio State, he knew he had to improve significantly if he wanted to lead the Buckeyes to a championship and boost his NFL Draft prospects.

Early on, he had a hard time with deep throws and adjusting to the speed of Ohio State’s wideouts. As a big 6’4″ and 235lb quarterback, his footwork wasn’t always clean. Plus, the timing he used at K-State didn’t fit the Buckeyes’ fast-paced offense.

Howard explained, “I was taking three steps and two hitches at K-State to throw the go ball. I did that the first time during spring ball with Jeremiah, and I threw it like 10 yards behind him.” Coach Ryan Day didn’t hold back, asking, “What the f*** are you doing?” Howard laughed it off later, saying, “That’s what I was taught [at Kansas State],” but Day made it clear as day: “You can’t get away with that here.”

Everyone knows Ryan Day as a perfectionist when it comes to coaching quarterbacks. Therefore, he expected nothing less than excellence from Howard or any other Buckeyes signal-caller. This explains why Buckeye QBs put up 35 passing tuddies a season under Ryan Day.

Day believes that by making practices more complex than games, the players become more rigid and more resilient. He constantly pushed Howard to be faster and more precise, yelling “Ball!” right behind his head to make sure the timing was perfect. Howard said, “He is never satisfied. Even if you throw a touchdown, if it’s not the right read. Or you used the wrong footwork, he’s going to get on your a**, and that’s just how it is.”

Like most players, at times, Howard confessed he doubted himself, saying, “There were times in the spring where I was like, ‘Man, do I even know how to freaking read coverage? Do I know how to throw a football?” However, the tough coaching paid off by the time the playoffs arrived. The Steelers QB became more confident and let it rip all the way to natty. That ‘never satisfied’ mentality didn’t stop there; it followed to their 2025 campaign.

Ryan Day and Ohio State flip a 4-star from Deion Sanders’ backyard

The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes continued their perfect season by beating Purdue 34-10 on the road. Purdue scored first with a field goal. Ohio State responded with 34 unanswered points before Purdue scored a late touchdown. With the win, Ohio State improved to 9-0. Now, only three regular-season games remain as they chase an undefeated record. They are moving closer to another opportunity for a Big Ten Conference championship.

While the team continues dominating on the field, Ohio State is also winning in recruiting for the future. The program got another significant boost when four-star defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin. A top player in the class of 2026, committed to Ohio State. Ruffin, who plays at Bessemer City High School in Alabama, had previously committed to Colorado back in September. However, he backed out of that commitment on November 4.

Ruffin is a highly sought-after prospect, with offers from prominent programs such as the University of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Missouri. Instead, he decided to join the defending national champions in Columbus. This commitment adds to Ohio State’s already strong recruiting momentum. They also recently landed the class of 2027 four-star lineman Kellen Wymer.

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Significantly, Ruffin’s addition makes the future even stronger for the Buckeyes. Moreover, it emphasizes that Ryan Day’s program continues to attract elite talent while they chase another national title.