Ohio State Football

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day's victory tour following the team's victory in the College Football Playoff Championship took him to late night television.

Appearing on Monday's episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (starts at 2:14 mark), Day joked that he came "right back down to earth" immediately after the game as a result of the viral moment when a golf cart carrying him and two players crashed into a wall in the tunnel at Mercedes-Benz Stadium following the Buckeyes' 34-23 win over Notre Dame.

Another topic that Fallon asked about was an old social media post from LeBron James when he asked about college eligibility in a sport besides basketball.

Day joked that he would give James a spot on the Ohio State football team, but he would be "right in line with the freshman" and "have to work his way up" to get snaps on Saturdays.

James accepted the coach's terms with his response on social media:

James has often talked about the possibility of being a football player, including saying in 2011 that he had an offer to tryout for the Dallas Cowboys:

"I would have made the team. I would have tried out, but I would have made the team. One thing about it, I don't mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I'd have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I'd have tried (out), but I would have made the team. I just know what I'm capable of doing on the football field. Especially at that age."

Despite James' confidence about being able to have played in the NFL if he really gave it his best effort, it's safe to say he made the right career choice given how things are still going for him in the NBA.

Plus, depending on which position James played, it would have been tough to get snaps for the Buckeyes this season. Their receiver room featured freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.

Carnell Tate was the No. 3 wideout and he had 733 receiving yards this season.

James gets the best of both worlds because he's still one of the best basketball players and he got to celebrate Ohio State's fifth national title by attending the College Football Playoff Championship Game in Atlanta.

Having success in college athletics means a willingness to spend money.

Ohio State's athletic department was no exception last year.

Per Sportico's Daniel Libit and Even Novy-Williams, Ohio State University reported $293 million in expenditures for the 2023-24 season. Ohio State has led the nation in athletic department spending in each of the last six years and its spending increased nearly $17 million from 2022-23, according to Libit and Novy-Williams.

Unsurprisingly, much of Ohio State's spending was on its football coaches, with the university spending $28.5 million on the staff. Total coaches' salaries increased from $45.2 million in 2022-23 to $54.3 million in 2023-24, much of that increase going to head football coach Ryan Day and his staff.

Despite such a large figure going to their football coaches, the Buckeyes reported $47.9 million in ticket revenue compared to $64.3 million from the previous year.

That roughly 25 percent decrease can be largely attributed to the Buckeyes playing just six home games in 2023 versus the eight they played at home in 2022. The most-anticipated game on the Buckeyes schedule against Michigan was also played at home in 2022 and on the road in 2023, another reason for fewer ticket sales.

According to Libit and Novy-Williams, Ohio State paid $9.2 million in severance payments in 2023-24. The Buckeyes fired men's basketball coach Chris Holtmann halfway through the season and owed him a $12.8 million buyout, which made up most of the severance payment figure.

While Ohio State spent a pretty penny in 2023-24, especially to its football coaches, that spending worked out well. The Buckeyes beat Notre Dame in the national championship game to win the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff last week. It was Ohio State's first football championship since 2014.

Ohio State asked defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to skip the team's College Football Playoff national championship celebration while he considered a move before joining Penn State, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network.

Per McMurphy, Knowles' representatives tried to reach a deal for him to remain with Ohio State but the school's offer fell "well below" the competition before he ultimately signed a three-year, $9.3 million contract with the Buckeyes' Big Ten rival.

Penn State officially announced him as the team's new defensive coordinator on Monday.

Knowles' reported deal with the Nittany Lions has an average value of $3.1 million while his annual base salary with Ohio State was worth $2.2 million, via Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.

Per Rabinowitz, the Buckeyes previously offered him an extension that would have made him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football before he joined Penn State.

ESPN's Pete Thamel noted that Knowles is believed to be the first coordinator in college football to earn a base salary over $3 million.

He'll be replacing Tom Allen, who left the Nittany Lions to join Clemson in the same role at the end of the 2024 season.

While Knowles may not have been included in Ohio State's national title celebration, he was still an important part of the team's stellar 2024 campaign.

The Buckeyes allowed just 12.9 points and 254.6 yards per game during the season, with both representing the best marks in the country. Knowles' unit also stepped up during Ohio State's CFP run, giving up a mere 18.8 points across four playoff contests.

Now, he'll be joining a Penn State squad that ranked No. 8 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten by allowing 16.5 points per game. It's worth noting that the Nittany Lions will be losing a major piece of their defense in 2025, as standout pass-rusher Abdul Carter declared for the 2025 NFL draft on Jan. 10.

While Knowles mulled his decision before choosing to take Penn State's offer, Ohio State reportedly requested that he abstain from showing up to the school's championship ceremony.

After leading Ohio State's offense to a national title, former NFL head coach Chip Kelly could be set for a return to the pros.

Kelly is "at the top of the list for several teams" looking for an offensive coordinator ahead of the 2025 season, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

Jones listed the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as potential NFL destinations for Kelly.

Kelly last coached in the NFL when he led the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 season. He then served as UCLA's head coach for six seasons before joining Ohio State in 2024 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

According to Jones, the Jaguars have "had interest in pairing new head coach Liam Coen with Kelly."

Jones noted it is "unclear how involved Kelly would be" in play-calling with the Jags given Coen's experience as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kelly is also seen as the "logical successor" in Houston given his connection to head coach DeMeco Ryans, whom he coached when Ryan played for the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Jones.

Because Ryan was formerly the 49ers' defensive coordinator, Kelly could be a better fit as play-caller in Houston, Jones noted.

Kelly's previous stint in the NFL began in 2013, when he spent three seasons as head coach of the Eagles.

After leading the Eagles an NFC East title and a playoff game in his first season with the team, Kelly's team missed the playoffs in 2014. He was fired before the final game of the 2015 season after the Eagles were again eliminated from playoff contention.

Kelly then spent just one season with the 49ers before he was fired after the team finished the 2016 campaign with a 2-14 record.

After six seasons leading UCLA to a 35-34 overall record, Kelly said he was glad to be moving from head coaching to a coordinator position when he joined Ohio State last spring.

"To me, the best part of football is the football," Kelly said last May, per CBS Sports' Cameron Salerno. "So you got to do football, and not some of the things that are involved with the head coaching deal."

Ohio State then went to the national championship game in Kelly's first season with the team, where his offensive unit put up 445 total yards against Notre Dame to claim the title.

The Buckeyes paid a $1.5 million buyout to UCLA in order to sign Kelly to a three-year deal last spring, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. If Kelly gets an offer from an NFL team, Ohio State could end up losing him after just one season.

Ohio State has reportedly offered defensive coordinator Jim Knowles a contract extension that would make him the highest-paid DC in college football.

According to Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch, Knowles signed a three-year extension with a base salary of $2.2 million per year in January 2024, but if he signs the new deal, it would exceed the contract Wink Martindale signed with Michigan last year.

Martindale was the highest-paid DC in college football last season with a salary of $2.5 million, and he is set to make $2.75 million in 2025.

Per Rabinowitz, both Penn State and Oklahoma have reportedly expressed interest in poaching Knowles from OSU and making him their defensive coordinator.

With Knowles leading the way, OSU led all FBS schools in total defense and scoring defense en route to going 14-2 and winning the national championship.

On Monday, the Buckeyes defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 34-23 in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, securing the program's first national title since 2014.

The 59-year-old Knowles has been at Ohio State since 2022, but he has coached at the collegiate level since 1988.

Knowles spent time as a defensive coordinator at Western Michigan (2001-2002), Duke (2010-2017) and Oklahoma State (2018-2021).

He was also the head coach at his alma mater, Cornell, from 2004 to 2009, posting a 26-34 record during his tenure.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day hired Knowles away from Oklahoma State in 2022 after the Buckeyes ranked 38th in scoring defense in 2021, allowing 22.8 points per game.

By comparison, Oklahoma State allowed just 18.1 points per game in 2021, which helped the Cowboys finish with a 12-2 record.

After Knowles' arrival, OSU allowed 21.0 points per game in 2022, but the defense took a big leap forward after that, allowing just 11.2 points per game in 2023 and 12.9 points per game in 2024.

Oklahoma lost defensive coordinator Tom Alley to West Virginia where he will serve as the DC and assistant head coach under Rich Rodriguez, while Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen left to take the same role at Clemson at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Both schools appear to be making a strong run at Knowles, but Ohio State clearly places immense value on Knowles' contributions as evidenced by the big contract offer it has reportedly extended.

Ohio State superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith seemed to shut down rumors and speculation he could leave the Buckeyes after receiving an alleged NIL offer of $4.5 million-plus to enter the transfer portal based on this response to a fan's post on X.

Smith appears quite happy with Ohio State based on this post too.

Pete Nakos of On3 reported on Smith's offer.

In his first year at Ohio State, Smith caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns to help lead the Buckeyes to their first national title since 2014 and ninth overall. He amassed 19 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns in four College Football Playoff games.

Needless to say, the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class (per 247Sports' composite rankings) met the hype and then some.

Smith is currently listed with a $4 million NIL valuation, per On3, but one can guess that'll be on the rise. He has two years of college left before he can leave for the NFL draft.

Smith very well could contend for a couple more national titles and perhaps a Heisman Trophy as well given his production.

So he could see more well-deserved money head his way, but it certainly appears that will happen while he's a member of Ohio State, which should be back in the national championship picture once again.

Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka delivered a final goodbye to Buckeye Nation on Friday as he sets his sights on the 2025 NFL draft:

Entering his name into the draft was a formality for Egbuka, whose NCAA eligibility has been exhausted after four years in Columbus. He leaves town with the school record in career receptions (205) and receiving yards (2,868) to go along with 24 touchdowns. Egbuka, of course, is also a national champion after Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-23 last Monday.

The latest B/R NFL Scouting Department big board lists Egbuka as the No. 3 wideout and No. 12 prospect overall.

For the season, Egbuka finished with 81 catches for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns. His production can't be ignored, and other OSU wideouts who put up big numbers have since excelled in the NFL, including Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Terry McLaurin.

B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson offered a pro comparison to Smith-Njigba or Amon-Ra St. Brown for Egbuka, who projects well in the NFL.

"In conclusion, Emeka Egbuka is a savvy route runner who wins in the short and intermediate range of the field," Parson wrote in part.

"Quick passing attacks will appreciate how he marries the timing of his routes to the quarterback drop. He is going to be where his quarterback needs him to be. Projects as a consistent slot playmaker at the next level."

The latest B/R NFL Scouting Department mock draft has Egbuka going 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys, where he's fit in as the team's No. 2 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb.

Three months still remain in the pre-draft process, though. For now, Egbuka and the rest of the draft prospects are trying to raise their stock until April 24, when the draft gets going from Green Bay.

After spending $20 million to assemble the roster that won the 2025 College Football Playoff Championship, Ohio State might have to cobble up more money to keep the group together for next season.

Per Pete Nakos of On3.com, Buckeyes star Jeremiah Smith has received an offer in excess of $4.5 million to enter the transfer portal after his breakout freshman campaign.

Smith later responded to the NIL reports on social media, agreeing with a fan denying OSU transfer rumors:

On3 Sports has Smith's current NIL valuation at $4 million. The figure went up by $300,000 after Ohio State's victory over Notre Dame on Monday.

Before the start of his freshman season, Smith became the first college athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Red Bull.

There was an incredible amount of hype around Smith as a prospect. He was the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports' composite rankings.

After signing with Ohio State in December 2023, Smith touted the program's history of developing receivers who become first-round prospects in the NFL draft.

"It came down to a close call between Miami and Ohio State," Smith said. "But you know I just go with my gut feeling, just go who's developing receivers into first-rounders so that's who I went with."

Smith more than lived up to the billing during the 2024 season. He finished second in the nation with 15 receiving touchdowns and fourth with 1,315 receiving yards. His 17.3 yards per reception ranked fifth among all FBS players with at least 50 catches.

The best game of Smith's season was in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Oregon. He had 187 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches.

Even though Smith was quiet for most of the next two playoff games, he stepped up in the biggest moment against Notre Dame with a 56-yard catch on 3rd-and-11 with 2:38 remaining to help seal the win.

Smith's impact, even when he's not being targeted, made a huge difference for Ohio State. It's not a surprise that other programs across the country would like to see what he can do for them if they can entice him away from the Buckeyes with enough money.

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard's draft stock may have received a boost from the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff National Championship Game victory.

NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah expressed his belief that Howard might be selected with one of the top 50 picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

"He's right on the borderline of a top-50 pick for me at this point in time," Jeremiah said during a Thursday appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

When discussing the possibility of Howard getting drafted in the fourth round, Jeremiah expected him to be off the board earlier.

"He's much higher than that," he added. "He's a day two guy for me as we sit right now."

Howard wrapped up a strong senior season with the Buckeyes in 2024, completing 73 percent of his throws for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 226 yards and seven scores.

The 23-year-old shined during Ohio State's CFP run that culminated in a national title. In four playoff games, he threw for 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with a 75.2 completion percentage. He was only picked off twice.

Howard was ranked as the No. 11 quarterback and No. 130 overall player in the 2025 draft class on the latest big board from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department.

His exact range should become more clear as the pre-draft process continues, but he may hear his name called before Day 2 comes to a close following his strong CFP run.

The 2025 NFL draft begins on April 24.

There is a small fraternity of people who understand what it is like to face the pressure-cooker that is being the head coach of Ohio State football.

Urban Meyer is one of them, and he called out some of the "idiots on social media" who attacked Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day before the latter led the Scarlet and Gray to College Football Playoff national championship.

"I coached a long time and a lot has been made of it and Coach Day and the pressures of coaching at a place like Ohio State," Meyer said during an episode of The Triple Option (h/t Dan Morrison of On 3). "I made the comment that that's not gonna change. The thing that has got to change and has changed is the idiots on social media that don't sign their name to stuff."

While nobody questioned Day's overall record, much of the football-related criticism from both frustrated fans and outside commentators came from his inability to accomplish any of the program's goals prior to the championship run.

After all, Ohio State hasn't defeated hated rival Michigan since Day's first season as head coach in 2019. It also hasn't won the Big Ten since the 2020 campaign. And, until this year, it fell just short of winning a national championship during CFP appearances during the 2019, 2020 and 2022 seasons.

This year's loss to Michigan seemed like a breaking point. The Buckeyes were heavy favorites against a team that struggled to move the ball on offense all season and still found a way to lose 13-10 with an overly conservative gameplan.

It wasn't just Buckeyes fans calling out Day at that point despite some of the revisionist history suggesting as much that has taken place since the national championship. There were national columns from some of the sport's most prominent voices saying it was time for Ohio State to move on, and it was not difficult to see why.

Yet Meyer specifically highlighted the criticism that took things too far and went beyond football, especially since, as Morrison noted, Day had to hire security at his home and deal with his family hearing about the program's perceived failures.

"When you start involving families, you're pushing it too far," Meyer said. "Booing because you don't get first downs and you lose to the rival, that's part of the game. That's all fair. But you've got to keep the families out of it."

Fortunately for Day and the Buckeyes, much of that criticism will now relinquish. They just made an incredible run through the first 12-team CFP and defeated top opponents in Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame.

Every win featured a double-digit margin, and Day and many of the players cemented their status in Ohio State history as a result.