“I just think it’s great for our team,” Day said. “Now, with the way that this is set up, I think that you’re allowed a loss or two throughout the season to learn and to grow and to build as a team. Where, in the past, if you were to lose a game like that, your whole season was ruined. I think it’s healthy.
Arlington — The 2024 football season finale for Texas or Ohio State will serve as a sneak peek for the season opening. Texas and Ohio State will square off in a highly anticipated game in Columbus during the first week of the 2025 football season. Less than eight months will pass between the two teams’ Cotton Bowl matchup and that contest.
In a press conference Thursday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian discussed the Cotton Bowl, which is a College Football Playoff quarterfinal. Sarkisian and Day were questioned about why the game for the following season had not been postponed in favor of resume-boosting matches against weaker opponents.s.
“I think one intriguing thing is that when you look at these last four teams, none of them played an opponent this year in the Football Championship Subdivision,” Sarkisian added. And I believe you are in Texas for a reason. You attend to Ohio State for a reason. You attend a Penn State or Notre Dame for a reason. You wish to participate in those games.
“And even though everyone is attempting to accumulate victories, I believe that the players we hire want to compete with the greatest. They want to play against the guys they participated in all-star games against or with whom they had several recruiting visits and got to know.
You can sense that enthusiasm, particularly in the early going of the season when you are coming off of training camp and have a big game early on that I believe our players look forward to. However, it also helps you identify your weaknesses, which may be rectified during the season to prepare for a postseason run, because they may be shown in games like that.
“I am rather pleased with Quinn. For him, his journey has been distinct. He nearly seems to represent a new age in collegiate football. This man attends one school, transfers, and ultimately plays for that school in the semifinals. Only the portal and everything that goes with it.
Ultimately, though, he has consistently remained loyal to himself. For us, the man has been a really steady sea, and despite the rocky conditions around him, he has stayed really focused, steady, and detail-oriented. He has an unrivaled work ethic. And I have just been happy of him because I believe he is discovered a source of inspiration that allows him to play freely, loosely, and with confidence.”
