Ryan Day Taking on More Responsibilities in Days Leading up to Rose Bowl

With Urban Meyer’s time as Ohio State’s head coach coming to an end, Ryan Day is beginning to take on more responsibility as the Buckeyes’ top man.

Day, who is set to become Ohio State’s full time head coach on Jan. 2, has been spending more time working with the defense and the team as a whole according to players, while Meyer begins to slide out of the role he has held since 2012.

Chase Young said there’s been a “slow shift” over the last few weeks with Ryan Day taking over Urban Meyer’s head coaching responsibilities. Said Day is spending more time with the defense and not just the offense now and Meyer has been able to take a step back and enjoy it more.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 27, 2018

The transition to the Ryan Day era is already underway. Ohio State DE Chase Young said Day’s practice responsibilities have shifted to include spending time with both the offense and the defense.

— Kyle Rowland (@KyleRowland) December 27, 2018

Meyer, who spoke to the media at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. on Wednesday, said he is soaking up as much as he can in his final week as Ohio State’s head coach.

“There’s a couple guys that have been with me for five years and I want to see them have a great experience at the Rose Bowl,” Meyer said of a handful of fifth-year seniors that were standing near him at the media availability. “I also rode a roller coaster for the first time in probably 15 years and survived it.”

Meyer has been more involved in the game-planning during bowl prep than anything else, as Day and the majority of the coaching staff spent the last few weeks closing out the 2019 recruiting class. More than perhaps anything though, Meyer and the Ohio State seniors are working on handling emotions as their final game as Buckeyes draws closer.

“You can’t ask for anything more,” Meyer said of Ohio State’s outgoing class. “Those guys did everything we asked.”