Ryan Day Eyes Veteran Blueprint After Indiana’s Title Run: “How Do We Get a Locker Room of Grown Men?”
Urban Meyer has never been one to mince words, and this week, the former Ohio State head coach offered a revealing look into the mindset of his successor, Ryan Day. After watching Indiana hoist its first-ever College Football Playoff national championship trophy, Day is reportedly rethinking how the Buckeyes build their roster-and it starts with experience.
On an episode of The Triple Option, Meyer shared that he spoke with Day just before the national title game. The conversation? All about age and maturity-and how the Hoosiers’ veteran-heavy roster may have cracked the code for postseason success.
“I actually talked to Coach Day about that yesterday,” Meyer said. “We talked before the game and he mentioned that, that everybody is now, and everyone's talking about it. How do we get a locker room of grown (expletive) men that's been through it?”
That line-“grown men”-isn’t just locker room talk. It’s a real shift in thinking for a program like Ohio State, which has long leaned on five-star talent and NFL-ready freshmen to power its title runs. But after watching Indiana win it all with an average of 3.86 years of experience per starter, Day seems ready to pivot.
The Age Advantage
Indiana’s rise has been one of the most surprising-and instructive-stories in recent college football memory. Two straight CFP appearances, capped off with a national title, didn’t come from nowhere.
The Hoosiers weren’t just talented-they were seasoned. Their roster was packed with players who had been through the grind, understood the system, and could handle the moment.
And it’s not just Indiana. The last three national champions-Michigan, Ohio State, and now Indiana-have all come from the Big Ten, and they’ve all had one thing in common: veteran depth. Meyer pointed out that these teams were among the oldest in the country, with some rosters rivaling the age and experience of NFL squads.
“I think the template has all been set now,” Meyer said. “The Big Ten winning three years in a row with the most mature, veteran teams.
Every team’s average age is what... someone said they were about the same age as NFL teams. The average experience was almost four years.”
That’s a dramatic contrast to the traditional model of success in college football, where highly touted freshmen are often expected to make an immediate impact. But as the sport evolves-especially with the transfer portal and extra eligibility years due to COVID-19-teams are finding that age and experience can be the ultimate equalizers.
Ohio State’s 2025 Season: A Tale of Two Halves
To be clear, Ohio State wasn’t far off. The Buckeyes opened the season with 11 straight wins, looking every bit like a team destined for another deep playoff run.
But cracks started to show in the Big Ten Championship Game, where they ran into a battle-tested Indiana squad that had been there before. That loss was a wake-up call.
Then came the CFP quarterfinal, where Ohio State fell 24-14 to No. 10 Miami-another team that leaned on age and experience. The Buckeyes’ offense, which had been explosive for much of the season, struggled to find rhythm against a veteran Hurricanes defense that didn’t flinch under pressure.
It was a tough ending to an otherwise strong season. But it also highlighted a growing trend that Day can’t afford to ignore: in the College Football Playoff, experience matters. A lot.
What Comes Next for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes
So what does this mean for Ohio State moving forward?
If Day follows through on what Meyer described, we could see a shift in the Buckeyes’ recruiting and roster-building philosophy. That might mean leaning more heavily on the transfer portal to bring in older players who can contribute right away.
It might mean keeping upperclassmen in the program longer, even if they’re not future first-round picks. And it might mean rethinking how the Buckeyes balance raw talent with game-tested maturity.
In a sport where every edge matters, the age factor is becoming a clear differentiator. Indiana didn’t win the national title just because they were older-but their experience gave them a level of poise and physicality that carried them through the toughest moments. And now, Ohio State is taking notes.
Ryan Day has already proven he can build a contender. But if he wants to bring another title back to Columbus, he may need to build a locker room full of “grown men” who’ve been through the fire-and know exactly how to win when it matters most.