Can a team be too successful for its own good? The Buckeyes appear to be entering that territory as one of its graduating stars is opening up about what it is like to play for Ryan Day and such a winning program.

In an interview with 105.3 The FAN, Caleb Downs, the new Dallas Cowboys defensive back, was asked if he ever got bored playing in college. He gave an affirmative response, and cited the lack of consistent competitiveness in college football as the reason, as certain college programs had lesser quality than others.

“Ball not coming your way. Maybe the talent may not be as good that week. You don’t play high level talent every week in college. That’s just something you have to get used to. … Just getting bored of not getting any action.”

This is not surprising at all when you look back at some of the final scores during the regular season. A 70 point shutout against Grambling State, a 42-3 beatdown of Minnesota, and then another 34 point shutout of Wisconsin are just some of the games that the Buckeyes dominated throughout last year.

For a competitor like Downs, he had to wait till the postseason to see some actual talent lined up against him. It’s fair to assume boredom could set in. But maybe that was the reason why Indiana and Miami ended up getting the win against the Buckeyes. Complacency bred some level of weakness in preparation.

Compare that to the SEC gauntlet faced by the members of that conference and you would rarely see such a dominant regular season team blink in the postseason and close the season without any playoff wins.

It was not the first time Downs expressed boredom in college football. On an episode of Downs 2 Business, Caleb discussed the situation with his brother and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs.

He complained about his lack of action when the Buckeyes faced the Washington Huskies in the 2025 season. The defensive line play from the Buckeyes was so good that the defensive backs had little work to do.

The Huskies quarterback Desmond Williams Jr. was limited to just 173 passing yards, without making any threatening passes down the field. It was a game where Buckeyes defensive lineman Caden Curry had three sacks and five tackles-for-loss, leaving defensive backs, like Downs, without much work to do.

“I was literally getting bored during the game,” Caleb Downs said. “I’m like, ball’s not getting back here. There was nothing going on.”

There is also the issue of Ryan Day’s play calling, which may have been another source of boredom. Though elite, when it comes to statistics, Day’s play calling is often criticized for being rigid, especially in big-game moments.

In the season-ending loss to the Miami Hurricanes, Day was the sole play caller after Brian Hartline was on the sidelines to focus on the wide receivers. The game saw the Buckeyes struggle on both sides of the ball, leading to a 24-14 postseason loss.

This defense should not have allowed Miami to trample over them like this. They were a group that allowed an average of only 7.75 points and one touchdown per game. The historic defensive room also allowed just 101 plays of 10+ yards, 26 plays of 20+ yards, and three plays of 40+ yards.

The defense led the nation in rushing defense with 89.4 yards allowed per game, passing defense with 129.7 yards allowed per game and redzone defense with 66.7% scoring allowed.

Their defensive quality dwarfed that of many college football programs, and it was why Downs got bored playing in college. Now, he has moved to the peak of football, where there is enough action on all defensive fronts to ensure he feels no iota of boredom both on and off the field.

Caleb Downs on his role in the Cowboys defense

Already, Downs is relishing the feeling of playing in the NFL, calling himself “a full-rounded player” that can be helpful to his team in different ways.

“Being able to use all my talents and be able to make an impact on the field, whether that’s close to the box or the deep part of the field. Being able to be multiple and make plays on the defense,” Downs said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. “I’m a defensive player. Being able to play at the line of scrimmage, being able to play at the second level, the third level. Being able to do a lot of different things. (I’m) a full-rounded player.

“If you’re a full-rounded player that can make plays in all facets of your defense and make your defense better, that’s who you want on your team. At the end of the day, you want playmakers. That’s what I am.”

Downs joins the likes of DaRon Bland Caelen Carson and Malik Hooker in the Cowboys’ defense, and will be looking to get the team back to the playoffs next season, after having missed the postseason for two consecutive seasons.