MIAMI HEAD COACH MARIO CRISTOBAL: Certainly appreciate being here and appreciate you guys being here and want to thank everyone involved with the Cotton Bowl, the entire organization. Everything is first class for providing our program, our families with a great experience, while at the same time providing us with the amenities and the facilities to be able to continue to prepare for a great opportunity.
So, I’m very thankful. I’m very appreciative.
OHIO STATE HEAD COACH RYAN DAY: Same. Three years in a row being here, and so it’s familiar to our staff, familiar to our fans, familiar to our team. Cotton Bowl does as good as anybody in the country in terms of the hospitality. Rick Baker and the whole staff really has become like family to us, just the time they spend with our families and with the players, they do it first class. So, great to be back here, and certainly, against a great opponent here in Miami. They had a tremendous season. Coach Cristobal does a great job in what they do.
It’s been a great week of preparation as we head into this game and looking forward to tomorrow night.
Q. Ryan, you spent these last several weeks trying to make sure this team kind of gets back to the fine-knitting, et cetera. How impressed have you been with this team, getting its feet back under them, so to speak?
COACH DAY: Well, we had to have a plan in place for this time. I felt we were very specific on what we wanted to get done, the first week, second week, third week, and now into the game week. Needed players and coaches to all be bought into exactly how we wanted to approach this and primed up for playing in this game. So, I think it’s important on how this time has gone. I think they bought into it. They’ve understood it. I think practice has been efficient. Our preparation has been efficient. But now, we need to continue to do that as we head into this game. Like any coach will tell you, you want to have a fast start early in the game and then play for 60 minutes.
Q. Julian [Sayin] was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year today. Obviously, a great accomplishment and a great start to his career. How much do you feel he has to gain? Is he just sort of scratching the surface at this point?
COACH DAY: I think first off, any time you get an award like that, it’s a compliment to everybody in the program. His offensive line, his wide receivers, everybody involved with it. We always say: The reason you come to Ohio State is to win championships and the awards come with it. But it’s good to see him get recognized. Julian is a young player. And you look at the guys who have had a lot of success in college football over the last five to ten years, a lot of them are older players. Julian is still in his first year. You can see the growth, how fast from the first game to where he’s gone throughout the season. He’s a quick learner. He’s taking it all in. In terms of
each week learning from the last game, growing, and then the confidence has just built throughout the season. So, happy to see him get recognized. But to your point, I think he’s got a lot of football ahead of him. He’s got a huge ceiling.
Q. Coach Cristobal, now that your team has been through a College Football Playoff game, gone on the road and done this, have you noticed any growth or change in the way they handle themselves in this situation now that they’ve kind of been there and done that?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Sure. I think there’s been steady growth throughout the entire season. Certainly, we were off to a really good start early and had a couple bumps in the middle. And after that, it seems like the upper classmen — and really, credit to the staff as well, everyone around this organization did a really good job just raising and elevating the standards as it relates to practice, preparation, and energy around the program. So, certainly a lot of growth, but a lot more growth to be had.
Q. Question for both coaches. Now that you’ve both coached playoff games, you’ve coached big bowl games, how do you manage a team and keep them focused, locked in, when there are so many amenities, so many things going on for a long stretch of time when you’re on the road for a bowl game?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think the schedule handles that. I mean, these guys are up early. They’re always in either a meeting, lifting, conditioning, practicing, or watching film, or getting some extra work in as it relates to preparation. And I think, of course, during their little free time, that’s when your senior or your upper-class leadership certainly has to take over and make sure things are done the right way.
COACH DAY: Yeah, I agree. I think when you get guys into their routine, they’re able to focus and concentrate more on their preparation. And that is a challenge, though, when you go to a different environment like this, is to avoid the distractions, and that’s a big emphasis point.
Q. Ryan, if Gabe VanSickle gets the nod tomorrow night, what has he done to earn that? What have you seen that’s even different from those two drives against Indiana in the last three weeks?
COACH DAY: Well, you think about last year at this time, where we were. And like Luke Montgomery is a great example of that. In the Tennessee game, he comes in, really hadn’t played a lot of football. Goes on to play in those playoff games. Same thing with Carson [Hinzman]. Played the year before, played behind Seth [McLaughlin], and then had to step up in a big way late in the season. Austin Siereveld got a bunch of reps during the playoff run and played a lot of football. So, this is a good example of Gabe, who has continually gotten better each week, and a big part of it is the training and what we do every day in practice, going against very good players every day in practice. So he should have confidence. Now, he’s going against an excellent front and a really good defense, but that’s what we expect this time of year in the playoffs. That’s why you have to trust your training going in. He’s gotten better every week. I think the guys have confidence that he’s going to do his job. How do you do that? You build trust every day with your teammates on how you go about business, and Gabe has done that.
Q. Ryan, Brian Hartline mentioned yesterday whether he was going to be up in the box or in the field. I’m curious, have you guys made that decision yet? And just the changes in play calling, how much of the details have you guys ironed out about that?
COACH DAY: Brian and I will be down on the field. We’ll have Keenan [Bailey] go upstairs, and then Brian can really help. He’ll still be involved with everything that we do. Everybody is involved with the play calling. Ultimately I’ll have the last say. But he’s going to come down, help with the receivers, and then Keenan will go up and help organizationally.
Q. Mario, on the selection show a couple weeks ago, you said Carson Beck was one of the most misunderstood people you’ve been around. How so? What do people get wrong about him?
COACH CRISTOBAL: I really didn’t know him until he got to Miami. I certainly — I think all of us saw some of the stuff, some of the noise surrounding the end of his tenure over at Georgia and then him starting his new tenure at Miami. And because he’s so quiet and reserved and didn’t get much time in front of the microphone, in front of the media, I think some narratives kind of — they ran on their own. And being around him from day one, one thing that really stands out, he’s all about team. He’s all about his teammates, and his work ethic is off the charts, which are the qualities you always want in your quarterback. So, I have the utmost respect for him and the utmost trust and confidence in him as a player, as a teammate, and certainly, I think his best days are ahead of him.
Q. Coach Cristobal, what has the bowl prep revealed about your team that maybe the regular season didn’t, if anything?
COACH CRISTOBAL: I think it’s a continuation of the process. I mean, we felt like towards the end of the season we were playing some of our best football. And that, again, brought with it a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy that has kind of snowballed into the postseason as well. And we were able to capitalize on that, and have a successful outing the last time out, and certainly, throughout the last several days of preparation, our guys are — I think we have a very clear understanding of how we’ve got to continually improve and raise our standards as the year goes on.
Q. Coach Cristobal, Jeremiah Smith made a comment earlier this week that had the Miami program been in a different place when he was coming out of high school that he might have gone to Miami, being from there. Obviously, you’ve got the program in a great place now. How difficult was it to lose him then? And also the challenges of trying to defend a guy like that?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think obviously he’s a great player, an elite player, an elite family, and that comes with recruiting. And certainly, whenever you don’t have a recruiting win, if you really are in it for the right reasons, you wish a player and his family the best. And he’s certainly done a great job.
Q. Ryan, I want to ask about Julian [Sayin]. Over this last month, he’s experiencing a lot of things that are new to him. Coming off of a loss for the first time, the Heisman ceremony, just dealing with all these things. How have you seen him grow in a maturity standpoint? Obviously, we know what he is on the field, but from a maturity standpoint, how is he handling
all these things?
COACH DAY: Yeah. Every time he gets an opportunity to play in a game or experience something, it gives him a different perspective. I think even going to New York City allows him a chance to have that perspective of what comes with that. All really good experiences.
And I think when you play the quarterback position, that’s a big part of it. You can’t substitute experience, and he’s learning. But I think for Julian, to his credit, when you don’t make the same mistake twice and you learn quickly, it gives you the best chance for growth. And that’s what he’s done. And so, he knows he wants to be playing his best football this time of year. He’s continued to
work really, really hard during this time the last few weeks to prepare, to get himself ready to go play in this game, and that’s where his focus is.
Q. Coach Day, Ohio State did a great job, as well as anybody in the country really, surging through that window that Miami left open through several years of lackluster play, I would say. In the four years since Coach Cristobal has come back, there seems to be a trend to that is changing a little bit. And I’d be curious to know what you would think the future of recruiting in South Florida is. Certainly, Coach [Brian] Hartline leaving is a factor. And just where you see this going over the next several years?
COACH DAY: Absolutely. Yeah. So, first off, South Florida has great players, great talent, great high school programs, and so we always want to bring in the best talent we possibly can. And I think it’s pretty clear to see the blueprint of guys who have come in from that area. There’s guys in the locker room who have a background down there. I think that’s important. Certainly, Coach
has done a great job in recruiting, and it gets competitive. And that’s what college football is all about. But that’s all about talent acquisition, and you certainly do everything you can to try to put your team in the best position to be successful. How do you do that? By bringing in great people who have great talent. And so, during the recruiting process — which has changed a lot. I think when you look at the last five years and where we are right now, we all have to adapt in what comes with that. Certainly, stability is a big part right now, I think, of the sell. It isn’t just about — you know, people talk about the NIL and everything that comes with that. A lot of it is your stability in the development. And certainly give a lot of credit to Coach and what he’s done the last few years to build on that.
Q. This is for Ryan. When you look at what Coach Cristobal has done, building up that defense, one of the best units in the country, what kind of issues does that present for an offense? And then, just describe the way that he has his defense planned.
COACH DAY: Well, just first off, you see the size and the talent. But when someone says a team is talented, to me, it’s like, I don’t know, talent is one thing, but the way they play is different. And I think that that says a lot about the coaches and how they put their guys in the situation to be successful, how hard they play. And so, they’re as good as anybody in the country, and it starts with the guys up front and goes all the way to the backend. So, it’s a tremendous challenge for our offense, and they’ve built it
the right way from the inside-out. So, we’ve worked hard to prepare and go play our best football.
Q. Ryan, what impact has Matt Patricia had on your team? Not just on the field, but off the field, developing relationships with your players in such a short amount of time.
COACH DAY: Well, I think it’s like you said, it started with building trust in the building. I think, for us, we felt very strong about our defensive staff, so to find somebody that was willing to come in on his own and not have to bring in a bunch of people, and then to adapt with what we had, says a lot about Matt. Matt is a good man. He’s a good dad. He’s a good husband. He really dives into the players, dives into the relationships with the guys on the staff. But he’s also very intelligent, has a tremendous
background of winning football. So, his experience of being in the NFL, playing in the NFL playoffs and everything that comes with
that, was quite honestly part of the reason why we brought Matt in. Not just the football part of it; it was also all the off-the-field stuff.
I think the credibility, the minute when he walked in the building was clear. The guys felt like — just like any other player, they want a coach that’s going to get them better, and they feel like that with Matt. They believe in Matt. So, that part has been great, and I think the relationship has been strong there, and you can see them playing for each other.
Q. Ryan, kind of a two-part question about the senior class you have here. One, how much have you kind of seen the motivation from them this year to try to kind of leave their own impact, their own legacy and follow up on what last year’s senior class did? And the second part of that, I know a lot of them are in bigger roles now, but how much do you think they benefit from going through the playoff last year and seeing what it takes to win a national championship?
COACH DAY: Well, we have a young team. When you look at going into the season where we lost a lot of starts going into the season.
And so, we all talked about the inexperience of this team, but then quickly realized it was a mature team that grew into the role. They’re the ones that have led the way and built confidence as the season has gone on. They made it pretty clear ten months ago they wanted to make history. And so, it’s all been a build to this point right here. We’ve got to trust our training and all the
work that we’ve put in up to this point and go put it on the field. But yeah, this is an opportunity. And we talk about it all the time that — you’ve heard me say this before — the only way your story gets told is if you win. So, all the work that goes in up to this point doesn’t matter if you don’t win the game. And these guys understand that’s the sobering truth of college football and where we’re at. But they had their minds set on this, and so here we are. We’re in that moment right now.
Q. For Ryan. Julian [Sayin] mentioned in the lead-up to this game, when you go against a pass rush like Miami’s, you’ve got to get rid of the ball quickly and that sort of thing. How has he done in that area in terms of time to deliver and just getting rid of the ball quickly this year?
COACH DAY: Yeah. Well, as we all know, the rush and the secondary all works together, and Miami does as good a job as anybody in the country of putting those things together. So, we have to be efficient, and that’s everybody involved with it. It’s not just the quarterback getting the ball out or the line straining, which they have to do. The receivers have to run the route, and they’re running the route against the defensive line. It’s everybody tied in with the timing of everything that comes with it. So, we have to continue to be who we are and be aggressive, but at the same time, we have to understand what we’re up against in our opponents. So, we’ve got to be on our game. But we also need to make sure that we understand what we’re up against, and that will be everybody involved with it. But balance will be important, as you know. We have to have great balance in this game. And so I think for Julian to be in the middle of all of that is important, and he’s done a good job throughout the season of making sure that we get into the right play, making sure that everybody’s on the same page, and executing the offense down the field.
Q. Ryan, as you’ve had to restructure a little bit with your offensive staff, what has it meant to have a guy like Keenan Bailey, who’s been at Ohio State even longer than you have and has been in your offense the entire time you’ve been there and worked with every position group?
COACH DAY: As we said before, I think stability now is more important than ever. And I think having continuity within your staff is critical. We just talked about on defense, Matt [Patricia] came in new, but the rest of those guys had been in that room before. I think if you’re constantly rolling over coordinators, it’s just not good for the organization. So, somebody like Keenan, who has been in the program for a long time, he means a lot to us on offense. He does a lot of the heavy lifting. He’s kind of the guy behind the scenes who does all the dirty work for us, in terms of the preparation, the cut-ups, the motivation. He’s the first guy in the building, the last guy to leave. He’s a hard worker, and he knows what we want to get done, and that has a tremendous amount of value to our offense. And for me, because this is going on nine years, that continuity I think has helped us recruit. It’s helped us continue — even during this time, Brian [Hartline] has an opportunity to go to South Florida, become the head coach. We have to be able to work through these times and be able to adapt and because of the continuity, I think we’ve been able to do that, and that’s got to be the focus going into this game, making sure everything is smooth for the players.
Q. Mario, Julian Sayin, preparation for him. What do you see? Why do you think he’s a good quarterback? What stands out to you?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, to us, we thought he was a sure-fire Heisman finalist. He has complete control of the offense. Extremely accurate. He gets in the right place. He knows where pressure is coming, where it’s not coming, where he’s protected and where he’s not, and he delivers the ball on the run, in the pocket, on the move. Certainly, a guy that can beat you a lot of ways, and
he can extend plays, he can improvise. So, he does not look like a young guy playing in the position. He looks like a guy that’s been there for a long time that has complete control of the offense.
Q. Coach Cristobal, I know your players weren’t born 23 years ago, but once upon a time, these two programs played one of the most exciting national championship games ever. Any sense from you of the people who have been around the program for a while, the fans who have loved Miami for a long time, has anybody brought up that game to you or mentioned it much?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think just like you mentioned, it means the people that were around at that time, certainly, of course. I mean, when you have programs of this caliber that have played in those caliber of games, that’s the best part about college football, right? The pageantry, the competitiveness, the fan bases. But as it relates to the current team, it’s the 2025 Miami Hurricanes and the 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes. That’s what they know. That’s what they’ve prepared for. And really, outside of that, nothing else matters.
Q. Ryan, last year, before the playoffs, there was open competition at kicker. And I was just wondering, before, in preparation for this game, did Jackson [Courville] get a chance to compete for the starting kicking role?
COACH DAY: Yeah, he kicked in practice during this time. We’re going to go with Jayden [Fielding] in this game. But he’s had an opportunity every day in practice to kick, and we’ll keep a close eye on it. But we’re going to go with Jayden to start the game.
Q. Coach Cristobal, we talk about talent acquisition and development. What about the acquisition of quality people? The kids you have in your program, you talk about Mark Fletcher, Rueben Bain, Keionte Scott. We can go on and on. How important that’s been as you’ve built that up the last four years.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Those guys are the foundation of everything. Certainly, upon arrival in 2022, having played at Miami, having been there during some really good years, you’re flying over across the country, and you’re looking — what you’re walking into on the iPad. It’s tough moments, a kick in the gut. Those guys had the faith. They certainly had the mental strength and the belief watching the team go five-seven, yet still making a decision to come and be the guys that were going to be agents of change, so to speak. So, they’re tough. They’re resilient. They’re elite human beings. And they attract elite human beings. And ever since they were knee-high, those guys have been community legends. They mean a lot to the program, aside from their touchdowns, sacks, and tackles for losses.
Those guys are certainly — they’re the big reason why the University of Miami is continuing to progress. We’re not where we want to be yet, but certainly, we’ve progressed a ton and have a long way to go. But they’re the reason why we are — our trajectory is going the right way.
Q. Coach Day, we talked yesterday about the importance of having the right people in your program. Now with Brian Hartline moving to USF, what gives you the confidence that you guys can have this new-look play calling, as a group, in the College Football Playoff?
COACH DAY: Well, I mean, it’s just based on your experience of everything that we’ve done leading up to this point. Everybody’s been involved with it and will continue to be involved with it. A big part — I’m sure you guys understand this — of whether you’re on offense or defense, the play calling is one part of it, but it’s the structure, it’s the practice, it’s the execution. All good plays. I say this all the time to the coaches. They’re all great plays. What can you execute? That’s what it comes down to. And that’s what this is all about. So, it’s going to come down to execution in this game, and that’s what it’s all about. Our guys need to understand that part of it. But at the same time, it’s our jobs as coaches to put them in the right position to be successful, and everything we possibly can do. Turn over every stone to make sure we do that. That’s our responsibility as coaches, so we’ll continue to do that.
Q. For both coaches. We’ve had the award season. Everybody knows who the All-Americans and the All-Conference guys are. For each of you, maybe one or two guys who are unsung heroes that it would be very difficult for your team to win a game without this guy? Who are maybe a couple of those guys on each side of the ball?
COACH CRISTOBAL: That’s a tough question and you hate to leave guys out. A guy that pops into mind right away is Keionte Scott who was injured in the middle of the season and was up for several postseason awards. You’d never know it because he never, ever once asked to have a campaign for a postseason award. Total team guy. I think guys like Anez Cooper really stand out. Mark Fletcher stands out. Again, I’ll probably stop there because I feel like I almost offend so many guys that have laid it on the line and you don’t
get a chance to mention them. But very grateful to have a group of guys that approach their work in that kind of manner.
COACH DAY: Yeah, I agree. You hate to point one or two guys out. I think on offense, though, I would just say that Will Kacmarek is somebody who does a lot of dirty work for us and has been a really good player for us on offense. And on defense, again, I don’t remember exactly what he was recognized for, but Davison Igbinosun really changed the culture of our secondary when he got here from Ole Miss and has continued to do that. Gritty, competitive dude who just brings it every day. And he’s had a major
impact on our program.
Q. It’s easy to look ahead. Obviously, you’ve had a really long season, championship mentality. But for both coaches, can you look back for me and tell me what was the moment you bonded with your team, more than any in the season?
COACH DAY: I don’t know if there was a single moment. I think when we went on the road this season early on, we went to Washington. We went to Wisconsin. We played on the road early. We had three of those four games during that stretch on the road. I felt like it brought our team together more. It sort of felt like this playoff run was the year before. When it’s just you and the team at the hotel, on the buses, in the plane, just bonding, spending time together in the meal room, Friday nights before the game, I think that brought us together as a team probably more than any one single win, just being together during that time. And I think playing three or four games on the road brought us closer together.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Yeah. Tough to single out a moment. I would say the humidity and heat of South Florida and training in it was probably the biggest thing. I would say, if you had to point out a moment during the course of the season, it was — you know,
after the loss at SMU, it was difficult to see past the front of your nose, and you had to have resiliency about yourself, and you had to have the ability to uplift your teammates and the people around you. And everyone in the entire organization just did a really, really good job of coming together and being our own best fans, if that makes sense. Making sure that we all understood that within the building, we’re our biggest supporters. We are our best family members and that we’re going to find a way to put ourselves in a situation where we could have a chance to go into the postseason.
Q. Coach Day, how did Davison Igbinosun change the culture of the secondary? And when did you realize that the culture had shifted?
COACH DAY: Well, just the way he goes about his business every day. The way he competes every day in practice. We talk a lot about how important practice is and that you’re going to sink to the level of your training. He brings it every single day, and he’s going against really good receivers every day in practice. He doesn’t back down to anybody. And you can just see that in his approach. It jumps off the TV screen, I’m sure, when you guys watch him. That’s the way he is every day. Every time there’s a competition, he’s the first guy in line. You want a secondary that’s built that way.
Q. For Mario, last year in the playoff, the teams that played on campus and advanced went 4-0 in this round. Do you feel like there’s something you’re trying to harness as you come into this game off this win at A&M?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think any time you’re able to win a game, a tough game, a physical game, there’s a lot to learn from it, and there’s a lot of things that you know you could have done better. But momentum is probably the hardest thing to get and keep in college football, and every time you get a chunk of it, you want to build off of that. So, I think there’s plenty to build off of last game. Hate to sound like a broken record, but there’s plenty to fix and plenty of things to do better. I think our team, probably the best part about it, they’re so process-oriented, they’re so much into routine that they kind of get it. I think anything outside of the routine, any type of hocus pocus and magic just wouldn’t do it. I think just the bare bones, just working on Greentree Practice Field every single day is what really does it for our guys.
Q. This is for Ryan but also maybe for Mario. If Wikipedia is right, I think maybe the first time you guys coached against each other was 2003 when you were a GA at Boston College, Ryan and Mario, you were the offensive line coach at Rutgers. What do you guys remember about that game?
COACH DAY: 2003? Geez. At Rutgers? Did we win? Okay. Well, I can’t tell you I remember that game. That one has got me jarred up.
No, I don’t remember that. I don’t remember that. A lot of that time was a blur. You have a lot going on when you’re a young coach, and I think about some of our young coaches. We had an event the other day, and I think we have over 60 kids under the age of 15 in our program. And when you’re young and you have kids, and even being on this trip and seeing some of our coaches
with some young kids, and just realize what a blur that time was, and how much we appreciate the wives who have to do a lot, especially this time of year when there’s so much going on. But I certainly remember how difficult those times were. But I’ve certainly followed Coach’s (Mario Cristobal) career. And he’s done an amazing job wherever he’s been and all the different staffs. So he’s a tremendous coach.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, it was really cold, I could certainly say. But, again, appreciate Coach (Ryan Day) and all the things he said. He certainly set a really high standard for college football and his program. What comes to mind is having learned a lot under Greg Schiano, who was a great mentor. I was a GA at the University of Miami. I actually picked him up at the airport when he was in for an interview, and he said, if you help me work out all this stuff and move into the house and run 110s with me, I’ll buy you a stone crab. And so that led to a great relationship where I ended up at Rutgers, and certainly, a lot was learned and a lot to be grateful for during that time.
Q. As we close out, the most important thing, when a family or a student-athlete, at the end, when they graduate or they leave the game and come back and say thank you.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I mean, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I mean, in the coaching industry, my mentor used to always say, We need more and more people that are really good for young people. And every single student-athlete in your building has to be approached, challenged, watched over, taken care of as if they are your very own son, because even though you may not be perfect, your intentions are going to be. You want what’s best. You’re going to put them in situations that help them grow and develop, and sometimes they may not like it, but that’s okay. Your job is not to be their best friend. It’s to be their best developer, right? So, it’s awesome. I think it’s a big reason why we do it, but that has to be part of it. And as a coach, I don’t think anyone should ever pat themselves on the back for fulfilling their obligation to the parents of — which we used to be able to sit in their households during recruiting. You can’t even do that anymore. But to give them their word that you’re going to take care of them like your very own.
COACH DAY: Yeah, like Mario said, it’s — my son is now a junior, and it’s become clearer and clearer to me as I’ve had a young man grow up in this game and watching him, it’s simple. You just — every decision you make, you treat them like your son. That’s it. How would you want your son treated? Period. And that’s our job. And when we bring people into our organization, we have a plan on how we think it’s going to go. We lay out the plan. It doesn’t always go that way. But at the end of the day, if we’re going to make great decisions and bring them along to be great young men, that’s what this is all about, because it’s not about lifting trophies, it’s about the impact you make on people’s lives. Lifting trophies is just a prerequisite to be able to continue to do that. That’s what coaching is about, and it will always be that way.
So, I’m very thankful. I’m very appreciative.
OHIO STATE HEAD COACH RYAN DAY: Same. Three years in a row being here, and so it’s familiar to our staff, familiar to our fans, familiar to our team. Cotton Bowl does as good as anybody in the country in terms of the hospitality. Rick Baker and the whole staff really has become like family to us, just the time they spend with our families and with the players, they do it first class. So, great to be back here, and certainly, against a great opponent here in Miami. They had a tremendous season. Coach Cristobal does a great job in what they do.
It’s been a great week of preparation as we head into this game and looking forward to tomorrow night.
Q. Ryan, you spent these last several weeks trying to make sure this team kind of gets back to the fine-knitting, et cetera. How impressed have you been with this team, getting its feet back under them, so to speak?
COACH DAY: Well, we had to have a plan in place for this time. I felt we were very specific on what we wanted to get done, the first week, second week, third week, and now into the game week. Needed players and coaches to all be bought into exactly how we wanted to approach this and primed up for playing in this game. So, I think it’s important on how this time has gone. I think they bought into it. They’ve understood it. I think practice has been efficient. Our preparation has been efficient. But now, we need to continue to do that as we head into this game. Like any coach will tell you, you want to have a fast start early in the game and then play for 60 minutes.
Q. Julian [Sayin] was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year today. Obviously, a great accomplishment and a great start to his career. How much do you feel he has to gain? Is he just sort of scratching the surface at this point?
COACH DAY: I think first off, any time you get an award like that, it’s a compliment to everybody in the program. His offensive line, his wide receivers, everybody involved with it. We always say: The reason you come to Ohio State is to win championships and the awards come with it. But it’s good to see him get recognized. Julian is a young player. And you look at the guys who have had a lot of success in college football over the last five to ten years, a lot of them are older players. Julian is still in his first year. You can see the growth, how fast from the first game to where he’s gone throughout the season. He’s a quick learner. He’s taking it all in. In terms of
each week learning from the last game, growing, and then the confidence has just built throughout the season. So, happy to see him get recognized. But to your point, I think he’s got a lot of football ahead of him. He’s got a huge ceiling.
Q. Coach Cristobal, now that your team has been through a College Football Playoff game, gone on the road and done this, have you noticed any growth or change in the way they handle themselves in this situation now that they’ve kind of been there and done that?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Sure. I think there’s been steady growth throughout the entire season. Certainly, we were off to a really good start early and had a couple bumps in the middle. And after that, it seems like the upper classmen — and really, credit to the staff as well, everyone around this organization did a really good job just raising and elevating the standards as it relates to practice, preparation, and energy around the program. So, certainly a lot of growth, but a lot more growth to be had.
Q. Question for both coaches. Now that you’ve both coached playoff games, you’ve coached big bowl games, how do you manage a team and keep them focused, locked in, when there are so many amenities, so many things going on for a long stretch of time when you’re on the road for a bowl game?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think the schedule handles that. I mean, these guys are up early. They’re always in either a meeting, lifting, conditioning, practicing, or watching film, or getting some extra work in as it relates to preparation. And I think, of course, during their little free time, that’s when your senior or your upper-class leadership certainly has to take over and make sure things are done the right way.
COACH DAY: Yeah, I agree. I think when you get guys into their routine, they’re able to focus and concentrate more on their preparation. And that is a challenge, though, when you go to a different environment like this, is to avoid the distractions, and that’s a big emphasis point.
Q. Ryan, if Gabe VanSickle gets the nod tomorrow night, what has he done to earn that? What have you seen that’s even different from those two drives against Indiana in the last three weeks?
COACH DAY: Well, you think about last year at this time, where we were. And like Luke Montgomery is a great example of that. In the Tennessee game, he comes in, really hadn’t played a lot of football. Goes on to play in those playoff games. Same thing with Carson [Hinzman]. Played the year before, played behind Seth [McLaughlin], and then had to step up in a big way late in the season. Austin Siereveld got a bunch of reps during the playoff run and played a lot of football. So, this is a good example of Gabe, who has continually gotten better each week, and a big part of it is the training and what we do every day in practice, going against very good players every day in practice. So he should have confidence. Now, he’s going against an excellent front and a really good defense, but that’s what we expect this time of year in the playoffs. That’s why you have to trust your training going in. He’s gotten better every week. I think the guys have confidence that he’s going to do his job. How do you do that? You build trust every day with your teammates on how you go about business, and Gabe has done that.
Q. Ryan, Brian Hartline mentioned yesterday whether he was going to be up in the box or in the field. I’m curious, have you guys made that decision yet? And just the changes in play calling, how much of the details have you guys ironed out about that?
COACH DAY: Brian and I will be down on the field. We’ll have Keenan [Bailey] go upstairs, and then Brian can really help. He’ll still be involved with everything that we do. Everybody is involved with the play calling. Ultimately I’ll have the last say. But he’s going to come down, help with the receivers, and then Keenan will go up and help organizationally.
Q. Mario, on the selection show a couple weeks ago, you said Carson Beck was one of the most misunderstood people you’ve been around. How so? What do people get wrong about him?
COACH CRISTOBAL: I really didn’t know him until he got to Miami. I certainly — I think all of us saw some of the stuff, some of the noise surrounding the end of his tenure over at Georgia and then him starting his new tenure at Miami. And because he’s so quiet and reserved and didn’t get much time in front of the microphone, in front of the media, I think some narratives kind of — they ran on their own. And being around him from day one, one thing that really stands out, he’s all about team. He’s all about his teammates, and his work ethic is off the charts, which are the qualities you always want in your quarterback. So, I have the utmost respect for him and the utmost trust and confidence in him as a player, as a teammate, and certainly, I think his best days are ahead of him.
Q. Coach Cristobal, what has the bowl prep revealed about your team that maybe the regular season didn’t, if anything?
COACH CRISTOBAL: I think it’s a continuation of the process. I mean, we felt like towards the end of the season we were playing some of our best football. And that, again, brought with it a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of energy that has kind of snowballed into the postseason as well. And we were able to capitalize on that, and have a successful outing the last time out, and certainly, throughout the last several days of preparation, our guys are — I think we have a very clear understanding of how we’ve got to continually improve and raise our standards as the year goes on.
Q. Coach Cristobal, Jeremiah Smith made a comment earlier this week that had the Miami program been in a different place when he was coming out of high school that he might have gone to Miami, being from there. Obviously, you’ve got the program in a great place now. How difficult was it to lose him then? And also the challenges of trying to defend a guy like that?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think obviously he’s a great player, an elite player, an elite family, and that comes with recruiting. And certainly, whenever you don’t have a recruiting win, if you really are in it for the right reasons, you wish a player and his family the best. And he’s certainly done a great job.
Q. Ryan, I want to ask about Julian [Sayin]. Over this last month, he’s experiencing a lot of things that are new to him. Coming off of a loss for the first time, the Heisman ceremony, just dealing with all these things. How have you seen him grow in a maturity standpoint? Obviously, we know what he is on the field, but from a maturity standpoint, how is he handling
all these things?
COACH DAY: Yeah. Every time he gets an opportunity to play in a game or experience something, it gives him a different perspective. I think even going to New York City allows him a chance to have that perspective of what comes with that. All really good experiences.
And I think when you play the quarterback position, that’s a big part of it. You can’t substitute experience, and he’s learning. But I think for Julian, to his credit, when you don’t make the same mistake twice and you learn quickly, it gives you the best chance for growth. And that’s what he’s done. And so, he knows he wants to be playing his best football this time of year. He’s continued to
work really, really hard during this time the last few weeks to prepare, to get himself ready to go play in this game, and that’s where his focus is.
Q. Coach Day, Ohio State did a great job, as well as anybody in the country really, surging through that window that Miami left open through several years of lackluster play, I would say. In the four years since Coach Cristobal has come back, there seems to be a trend to that is changing a little bit. And I’d be curious to know what you would think the future of recruiting in South Florida is. Certainly, Coach [Brian] Hartline leaving is a factor. And just where you see this going over the next several years?
COACH DAY: Absolutely. Yeah. So, first off, South Florida has great players, great talent, great high school programs, and so we always want to bring in the best talent we possibly can. And I think it’s pretty clear to see the blueprint of guys who have come in from that area. There’s guys in the locker room who have a background down there. I think that’s important. Certainly, Coach
has done a great job in recruiting, and it gets competitive. And that’s what college football is all about. But that’s all about talent acquisition, and you certainly do everything you can to try to put your team in the best position to be successful. How do you do that? By bringing in great people who have great talent. And so, during the recruiting process — which has changed a lot. I think when you look at the last five years and where we are right now, we all have to adapt in what comes with that. Certainly, stability is a big part right now, I think, of the sell. It isn’t just about — you know, people talk about the NIL and everything that comes with that. A lot of it is your stability in the development. And certainly give a lot of credit to Coach and what he’s done the last few years to build on that.
Q. This is for Ryan. When you look at what Coach Cristobal has done, building up that defense, one of the best units in the country, what kind of issues does that present for an offense? And then, just describe the way that he has his defense planned.
COACH DAY: Well, just first off, you see the size and the talent. But when someone says a team is talented, to me, it’s like, I don’t know, talent is one thing, but the way they play is different. And I think that that says a lot about the coaches and how they put their guys in the situation to be successful, how hard they play. And so, they’re as good as anybody in the country, and it starts with the guys up front and goes all the way to the backend. So, it’s a tremendous challenge for our offense, and they’ve built it
the right way from the inside-out. So, we’ve worked hard to prepare and go play our best football.
Q. Ryan, what impact has Matt Patricia had on your team? Not just on the field, but off the field, developing relationships with your players in such a short amount of time.
COACH DAY: Well, I think it’s like you said, it started with building trust in the building. I think, for us, we felt very strong about our defensive staff, so to find somebody that was willing to come in on his own and not have to bring in a bunch of people, and then to adapt with what we had, says a lot about Matt. Matt is a good man. He’s a good dad. He’s a good husband. He really dives into the players, dives into the relationships with the guys on the staff. But he’s also very intelligent, has a tremendous
background of winning football. So, his experience of being in the NFL, playing in the NFL playoffs and everything that comes with
that, was quite honestly part of the reason why we brought Matt in. Not just the football part of it; it was also all the off-the-field stuff.
I think the credibility, the minute when he walked in the building was clear. The guys felt like — just like any other player, they want a coach that’s going to get them better, and they feel like that with Matt. They believe in Matt. So, that part has been great, and I think the relationship has been strong there, and you can see them playing for each other.
Q. Ryan, kind of a two-part question about the senior class you have here. One, how much have you kind of seen the motivation from them this year to try to kind of leave their own impact, their own legacy and follow up on what last year’s senior class did? And the second part of that, I know a lot of them are in bigger roles now, but how much do you think they benefit from going through the playoff last year and seeing what it takes to win a national championship?
COACH DAY: Well, we have a young team. When you look at going into the season where we lost a lot of starts going into the season.
And so, we all talked about the inexperience of this team, but then quickly realized it was a mature team that grew into the role. They’re the ones that have led the way and built confidence as the season has gone on. They made it pretty clear ten months ago they wanted to make history. And so, it’s all been a build to this point right here. We’ve got to trust our training and all the
work that we’ve put in up to this point and go put it on the field. But yeah, this is an opportunity. And we talk about it all the time that — you’ve heard me say this before — the only way your story gets told is if you win. So, all the work that goes in up to this point doesn’t matter if you don’t win the game. And these guys understand that’s the sobering truth of college football and where we’re at. But they had their minds set on this, and so here we are. We’re in that moment right now.
Q. For Ryan. Julian [Sayin] mentioned in the lead-up to this game, when you go against a pass rush like Miami’s, you’ve got to get rid of the ball quickly and that sort of thing. How has he done in that area in terms of time to deliver and just getting rid of the ball quickly this year?
COACH DAY: Yeah. Well, as we all know, the rush and the secondary all works together, and Miami does as good a job as anybody in the country of putting those things together. So, we have to be efficient, and that’s everybody involved with it. It’s not just the quarterback getting the ball out or the line straining, which they have to do. The receivers have to run the route, and they’re running the route against the defensive line. It’s everybody tied in with the timing of everything that comes with it. So, we have to continue to be who we are and be aggressive, but at the same time, we have to understand what we’re up against in our opponents. So, we’ve got to be on our game. But we also need to make sure that we understand what we’re up against, and that will be everybody involved with it. But balance will be important, as you know. We have to have great balance in this game. And so I think for Julian to be in the middle of all of that is important, and he’s done a good job throughout the season of making sure that we get into the right play, making sure that everybody’s on the same page, and executing the offense down the field.
Q. Ryan, as you’ve had to restructure a little bit with your offensive staff, what has it meant to have a guy like Keenan Bailey, who’s been at Ohio State even longer than you have and has been in your offense the entire time you’ve been there and worked with every position group?
COACH DAY: As we said before, I think stability now is more important than ever. And I think having continuity within your staff is critical. We just talked about on defense, Matt [Patricia] came in new, but the rest of those guys had been in that room before. I think if you’re constantly rolling over coordinators, it’s just not good for the organization. So, somebody like Keenan, who has been in the program for a long time, he means a lot to us on offense. He does a lot of the heavy lifting. He’s kind of the guy behind the scenes who does all the dirty work for us, in terms of the preparation, the cut-ups, the motivation. He’s the first guy in the building, the last guy to leave. He’s a hard worker, and he knows what we want to get done, and that has a tremendous amount of value to our offense. And for me, because this is going on nine years, that continuity I think has helped us recruit. It’s helped us continue — even during this time, Brian [Hartline] has an opportunity to go to South Florida, become the head coach. We have to be able to work through these times and be able to adapt and because of the continuity, I think we’ve been able to do that, and that’s got to be the focus going into this game, making sure everything is smooth for the players.
Q. Mario, Julian Sayin, preparation for him. What do you see? Why do you think he’s a good quarterback? What stands out to you?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, to us, we thought he was a sure-fire Heisman finalist. He has complete control of the offense. Extremely accurate. He gets in the right place. He knows where pressure is coming, where it’s not coming, where he’s protected and where he’s not, and he delivers the ball on the run, in the pocket, on the move. Certainly, a guy that can beat you a lot of ways, and
he can extend plays, he can improvise. So, he does not look like a young guy playing in the position. He looks like a guy that’s been there for a long time that has complete control of the offense.
Q. Coach Cristobal, I know your players weren’t born 23 years ago, but once upon a time, these two programs played one of the most exciting national championship games ever. Any sense from you of the people who have been around the program for a while, the fans who have loved Miami for a long time, has anybody brought up that game to you or mentioned it much?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think just like you mentioned, it means the people that were around at that time, certainly, of course. I mean, when you have programs of this caliber that have played in those caliber of games, that’s the best part about college football, right? The pageantry, the competitiveness, the fan bases. But as it relates to the current team, it’s the 2025 Miami Hurricanes and the 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes. That’s what they know. That’s what they’ve prepared for. And really, outside of that, nothing else matters.
Q. Ryan, last year, before the playoffs, there was open competition at kicker. And I was just wondering, before, in preparation for this game, did Jackson [Courville] get a chance to compete for the starting kicking role?
COACH DAY: Yeah, he kicked in practice during this time. We’re going to go with Jayden [Fielding] in this game. But he’s had an opportunity every day in practice to kick, and we’ll keep a close eye on it. But we’re going to go with Jayden to start the game.
Q. Coach Cristobal, we talk about talent acquisition and development. What about the acquisition of quality people? The kids you have in your program, you talk about Mark Fletcher, Rueben Bain, Keionte Scott. We can go on and on. How important that’s been as you’ve built that up the last four years.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Those guys are the foundation of everything. Certainly, upon arrival in 2022, having played at Miami, having been there during some really good years, you’re flying over across the country, and you’re looking — what you’re walking into on the iPad. It’s tough moments, a kick in the gut. Those guys had the faith. They certainly had the mental strength and the belief watching the team go five-seven, yet still making a decision to come and be the guys that were going to be agents of change, so to speak. So, they’re tough. They’re resilient. They’re elite human beings. And they attract elite human beings. And ever since they were knee-high, those guys have been community legends. They mean a lot to the program, aside from their touchdowns, sacks, and tackles for losses.
Those guys are certainly — they’re the big reason why the University of Miami is continuing to progress. We’re not where we want to be yet, but certainly, we’ve progressed a ton and have a long way to go. But they’re the reason why we are — our trajectory is going the right way.
Q. Coach Day, we talked yesterday about the importance of having the right people in your program. Now with Brian Hartline moving to USF, what gives you the confidence that you guys can have this new-look play calling, as a group, in the College Football Playoff?
COACH DAY: Well, I mean, it’s just based on your experience of everything that we’ve done leading up to this point. Everybody’s been involved with it and will continue to be involved with it. A big part — I’m sure you guys understand this — of whether you’re on offense or defense, the play calling is one part of it, but it’s the structure, it’s the practice, it’s the execution. All good plays. I say this all the time to the coaches. They’re all great plays. What can you execute? That’s what it comes down to. And that’s what this is all about. So, it’s going to come down to execution in this game, and that’s what it’s all about. Our guys need to understand that part of it. But at the same time, it’s our jobs as coaches to put them in the right position to be successful, and everything we possibly can do. Turn over every stone to make sure we do that. That’s our responsibility as coaches, so we’ll continue to do that.
Q. For both coaches. We’ve had the award season. Everybody knows who the All-Americans and the All-Conference guys are. For each of you, maybe one or two guys who are unsung heroes that it would be very difficult for your team to win a game without this guy? Who are maybe a couple of those guys on each side of the ball?
COACH CRISTOBAL: That’s a tough question and you hate to leave guys out. A guy that pops into mind right away is Keionte Scott who was injured in the middle of the season and was up for several postseason awards. You’d never know it because he never, ever once asked to have a campaign for a postseason award. Total team guy. I think guys like Anez Cooper really stand out. Mark Fletcher stands out. Again, I’ll probably stop there because I feel like I almost offend so many guys that have laid it on the line and you don’t
get a chance to mention them. But very grateful to have a group of guys that approach their work in that kind of manner.
COACH DAY: Yeah, I agree. You hate to point one or two guys out. I think on offense, though, I would just say that Will Kacmarek is somebody who does a lot of dirty work for us and has been a really good player for us on offense. And on defense, again, I don’t remember exactly what he was recognized for, but Davison Igbinosun really changed the culture of our secondary when he got here from Ole Miss and has continued to do that. Gritty, competitive dude who just brings it every day. And he’s had a major
impact on our program.
Q. It’s easy to look ahead. Obviously, you’ve had a really long season, championship mentality. But for both coaches, can you look back for me and tell me what was the moment you bonded with your team, more than any in the season?
COACH DAY: I don’t know if there was a single moment. I think when we went on the road this season early on, we went to Washington. We went to Wisconsin. We played on the road early. We had three of those four games during that stretch on the road. I felt like it brought our team together more. It sort of felt like this playoff run was the year before. When it’s just you and the team at the hotel, on the buses, in the plane, just bonding, spending time together in the meal room, Friday nights before the game, I think that brought us together as a team probably more than any one single win, just being together during that time. And I think playing three or four games on the road brought us closer together.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Yeah. Tough to single out a moment. I would say the humidity and heat of South Florida and training in it was probably the biggest thing. I would say, if you had to point out a moment during the course of the season, it was — you know,
after the loss at SMU, it was difficult to see past the front of your nose, and you had to have resiliency about yourself, and you had to have the ability to uplift your teammates and the people around you. And everyone in the entire organization just did a really, really good job of coming together and being our own best fans, if that makes sense. Making sure that we all understood that within the building, we’re our biggest supporters. We are our best family members and that we’re going to find a way to put ourselves in a situation where we could have a chance to go into the postseason.
Q. Coach Day, how did Davison Igbinosun change the culture of the secondary? And when did you realize that the culture had shifted?
COACH DAY: Well, just the way he goes about his business every day. The way he competes every day in practice. We talk a lot about how important practice is and that you’re going to sink to the level of your training. He brings it every single day, and he’s going against really good receivers every day in practice. He doesn’t back down to anybody. And you can just see that in his approach. It jumps off the TV screen, I’m sure, when you guys watch him. That’s the way he is every day. Every time there’s a competition, he’s the first guy in line. You want a secondary that’s built that way.
Q. For Mario, last year in the playoff, the teams that played on campus and advanced went 4-0 in this round. Do you feel like there’s something you’re trying to harness as you come into this game off this win at A&M?
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I think any time you’re able to win a game, a tough game, a physical game, there’s a lot to learn from it, and there’s a lot of things that you know you could have done better. But momentum is probably the hardest thing to get and keep in college football, and every time you get a chunk of it, you want to build off of that. So, I think there’s plenty to build off of last game. Hate to sound like a broken record, but there’s plenty to fix and plenty of things to do better. I think our team, probably the best part about it, they’re so process-oriented, they’re so much into routine that they kind of get it. I think anything outside of the routine, any type of hocus pocus and magic just wouldn’t do it. I think just the bare bones, just working on Greentree Practice Field every single day is what really does it for our guys.
Q. This is for Ryan but also maybe for Mario. If Wikipedia is right, I think maybe the first time you guys coached against each other was 2003 when you were a GA at Boston College, Ryan and Mario, you were the offensive line coach at Rutgers. What do you guys remember about that game?
COACH DAY: 2003? Geez. At Rutgers? Did we win? Okay. Well, I can’t tell you I remember that game. That one has got me jarred up.
No, I don’t remember that. I don’t remember that. A lot of that time was a blur. You have a lot going on when you’re a young coach, and I think about some of our young coaches. We had an event the other day, and I think we have over 60 kids under the age of 15 in our program. And when you’re young and you have kids, and even being on this trip and seeing some of our coaches
with some young kids, and just realize what a blur that time was, and how much we appreciate the wives who have to do a lot, especially this time of year when there’s so much going on. But I certainly remember how difficult those times were. But I’ve certainly followed Coach’s (Mario Cristobal) career. And he’s done an amazing job wherever he’s been and all the different staffs. So he’s a tremendous coach.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, it was really cold, I could certainly say. But, again, appreciate Coach (Ryan Day) and all the things he said. He certainly set a really high standard for college football and his program. What comes to mind is having learned a lot under Greg Schiano, who was a great mentor. I was a GA at the University of Miami. I actually picked him up at the airport when he was in for an interview, and he said, if you help me work out all this stuff and move into the house and run 110s with me, I’ll buy you a stone crab. And so that led to a great relationship where I ended up at Rutgers, and certainly, a lot was learned and a lot to be grateful for during that time.
Q. As we close out, the most important thing, when a family or a student-athlete, at the end, when they graduate or they leave the game and come back and say thank you.
COACH CRISTOBAL: Well, I mean, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. I mean, in the coaching industry, my mentor used to always say, We need more and more people that are really good for young people. And every single student-athlete in your building has to be approached, challenged, watched over, taken care of as if they are your very own son, because even though you may not be perfect, your intentions are going to be. You want what’s best. You’re going to put them in situations that help them grow and develop, and sometimes they may not like it, but that’s okay. Your job is not to be their best friend. It’s to be their best developer, right? So, it’s awesome. I think it’s a big reason why we do it, but that has to be part of it. And as a coach, I don’t think anyone should ever pat themselves on the back for fulfilling their obligation to the parents of — which we used to be able to sit in their households during recruiting. You can’t even do that anymore. But to give them their word that you’re going to take care of them like your very own.
COACH DAY: Yeah, like Mario said, it’s — my son is now a junior, and it’s become clearer and clearer to me as I’ve had a young man grow up in this game and watching him, it’s simple. You just — every decision you make, you treat them like your son. That’s it. How would you want your son treated? Period. And that’s our job. And when we bring people into our organization, we have a plan on how we think it’s going to go. We lay out the plan. It doesn’t always go that way. But at the end of the day, if we’re going to make great decisions and bring them along to be great young men, that’s what this is all about, because it’s not about lifting trophies, it’s about the impact you make on people’s lives. Lifting trophies is just a prerequisite to be able to continue to do that. That’s what coaching is about, and it will always be that way.
