ARLINGTON, Texas — The tunnel once filled with confetti, commemorative shirts and loud music was quiet Wednesday as the seconds ticked closer to 2026.
As Ohio State football walked to its locker room inside AT&T Stadium, it was a different vibe from the one displayed last January. Back then, the Buckeyes were celebrating a dramatic win against Texas in the Cotton Bowl which clinched a trip to the National Championship Game.
This year, though, was silent.
Graduate assistants and family members watched as Ohio State players and coaches walked back to their locker room in despair. This locker room was now for the losers, with Miami upsetting OSU in a 24-14 College Football Playoff quarterfinal win.
A promising season ended in an unexpected manner, with Ohio State losing to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game and going one-and-done in the CFP.
The offseason arrived sooner than anyone in that locker room expected.
Julian Sayin’s time to grow
Julian Sayin’s head was down, his eyes occasionally glancing at the disappointing stat sheet in front of him.
The redshirt freshman quarterback just watched his first season as Ohio State’s starter come to an end, fueled largely by five sacks he took and two interceptions he threw.
The Heisman Trophy finalist didn’t envision his season ending this way, but like everything this season, Wednesday must be a learning moment for the California native.
Against the Hoosiers, he suffered his first loss. Against the Hurricanes, he was handed his first season-ending loss.
That somber locker room scene and ensuing press conference will have to stick with him as he turns his attention toward the 2026 campaign.
“Ultimately, it wasn’t good enough,” Sayin said. “Didn’t put up enough points. It starts with me.”
Sonny Styles’ goodbye
Across the hall from Ohio State’s press conference in the bowels of AT&T Stadium, select Buckeyes were also made available for breakout interviews with the media. Linebacker Sonny Styles, the Block O recipient this season, was among those who spoke.
He will leave Ohio State with a decorated resume. The Pickerington, Ohio, native arrived as a five-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class ready to play safety.
Instead, he pivoted to linebacker ahead of the 2024 season. The transition was seamless.
Styles started all 16 games for the Buckeyes last year en route to the ninth national title in program history. He again started every game this season, wrapping up a career sure to be recognized with an early selection in the upcoming NFL draft.
But his final memory as a Buckeye will be an emotional one.
As he left the interview room, Styles put a hood over his head and sat with his face between his knees on a golf cart. The emotion of his collegiate career coming to an end was evident as former Ohio State All-American linebacker Bobby Carpenter spoke to him.
“Didn’t go out the way you want to finish, but it is what it is,” Styles said. “You just have gratitude for the time here, the great moments we did have and the things we did achieve.”
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) catches a pass from quarterback Carson Beck (11) before running int in for a touchdown in front of Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles (0) during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) APAPThe end of Matt Patricia’s first season
Day’s final moments at AT&T Stadium were spent outside the Buckeyes’ locker room. After finishing his press conference, Day spent time with his arms around his daughters as he spoke to them and his wife, Nina.
He then had a prolonged conversation with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia — a first-year coordinator at the collegiate level who may have taught Day something about hiring coaches in Columbus.
Ohio State lost defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Penn State after winning the national title last year. The move came at an inopportune time, with most of the college football coaching cycle completed before OSU’s season ended.
However, Day was patient in his search. He made an unconventional hire, bringing in an experienced NFL coach who hadn’t worked at the collegiate level since 2003.
Perhaps, in that quiet conversation outside Ohio State’s locker room, Day was reminded of the process for finding Knowles’ replacement.
It could be a guiding point as Ohio State looks for Brian Hartline’s replacement at offensive coordinator.
Day could promote from within and have either tight ends coach Keenan Bailey or offensive line coach Tyler Bowen take over play-calling duties. He could also pursue someone like Brian Daboll — the recently-fired New York Giants coach who last worked in college as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2017.
Day is an offensive-minded coach who has posted impressive numbers at Ohio State, but as he enters another offseason, bringing in a fresh face to bolster the offense could help — especially after lackluster efforts against the Hoosiers and Hurricanes.
“We’ve got to get back to it and figure out where we’re going to go moving forward,” Day said. “We’ve got to sit down and evaluate all of it.”