CHICAGO — The college football world, according to Ohio State, is volatile. The schedule it plays this season, including road games at Texas, Indiana and Iowa, makes winning uncertain. The fixes required in-game and, especially, at the end of the season grow more complex. There are already clear examples of ambiguity that demand clarity.
At Big Ten Media Days at the Hilton Chicago, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said he’s coaching his team and organizing his staff to affect an outcome based around those four challenges: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity — VUCA.
VUCA is a framework adopted by the U.S. Army War College to help the United States navigate the world at-large in the post-Cold War era and develop foresight in moments of great stress. VUCA — sounds like a mind trick rather than a paradigm shift. But that’s what it means, as Day is chasing details in hopes of winning another national title.
“In order to attack those times, you have to make decisions quickly,” Day said Wednesday. “You have to be decisive, you have to then identify what’s gone right, what’s gone wrong, then continue to adapt over time, not throw up your hands and get frustrated.”
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Buckeyes and their fans were frustrated at the end of 2025. After defeating Texas in Week 1, Ohio State played the next 12 weeks as the No. 1-ranked team in the country, finishing the regular season undefeated only to lose back-to-back games to the two teams that played for the national championship.
No one spends three months as the No. 1 team in the sport by accident, and after a 12-win season, to ask for a massive change in philosophy or personnel would be too harsh. But it does put the Buckeyes in an unenviable situation: hunting for small margins of success as opponents continue to strengthen.
“I think when you’re chasing small margins like you are, you have to identify the things that need to get fixed and fix them,” Day said. “The easy thing is to do nothing or overreact. Where the real work is identifying what needs to get fixed and then make that change. I won’t get into all those things.”
No sweat, Ryan, I will.
Against ranked opponents last season, the Buckeyes rushed for more than 100 yards in a game just once in five opportunities. In its only losses of the season, to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship and to Miami in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State was held to 58 rushing yards and 45 rushing yards, respectively. And until the postseason, the Buckeyes did not allow a single sack of quarterback Julian Sayin — only for him to get sacked five times in each game against IU and Miami.
Sayin threw just five interceptions in the regular season, before throwing a combined three against the Hoosiers and Hurricanes.
In part, Sayin’s at fault for the increase in sacks, but much of it falls on pedestrian offensive line play in December after appearing powerful throughout the regular season. Sacks are one thing. The rushing attack against good teams is another.
Ohio State depended on running back Bo Jackson, a true freshman who was so unexpected to play a pivotal role in the 2025 season he didn’t even touch the ball against Texas. But had he not emerged, the Buckeyes’ ground attack would have been even worse. So, going into the 2026 season, Day identified running back as a paramount position.
“To me,” Day said during a breakout session on Tuesday, “a position group that’s got to have a great preseason is the running back room. I know we have Isaiah [West] voltando, temos Bo [Jackson] voltando. Adicionamos Ja’Kobi [Jackson]. Nós temos a lenda [Bey]. Temos turbo [Rogers]. OK, temos essas peças. Mas tipo, se quisermos chegar onde precisamos, precisamos de um alto nível de jogo para funcionar nesse jogo. Então isso é crítico. E os dois treinaram na primavera. Então esse é um que eu estou de olho.”
Day e os Buckeyes também ainda estão mexendo no alinhamento de sua linha ofensiva. Maximizar a experiência de Carson Hinzman, Josh Padilla e Austin Siereveld dependerá principalmente de como Ian Moore e Phillip Daniels se desenvolverão na pré-temporada.
“São todos esses caras, porque se, de repente, Phil ou Ian nos derem um jogo de alto nível que estamos vendo nos treinos, isso nos dará a oportunidade de ter alguma flexibilidade”, disse Day. “Se Josh está jogando em um alto nível na guarda, digamos, bem, então podemos manter Austin aqui como left tackle. Vamos jogar contra os cinco melhores.”
O running back do estado de Ohio, Bo Jackson, correu para 1.090 jardas como calouro em 2025. (Foto de Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ele espera ter essa escalação definida no treino de pré-temporada nº 10. Mas melhorar o ataque rápido e proteger o quarterback são prioridades para os Buckeyes. O que resta é como Day e Ohio State abordam as equipes com uma classificação ao lado de seus nomes?
Eles conseguem reconhecer quando um jogo é volátil?
Eles conseguem manter a calma quando a defesa está vacilando, quando seu oponente está no meio de uma campanha de 10 jogadas criando incerteza?
A complexidade de um esquema oposto desvendará o estado de Ohio?
A dúvida surgirá quando a ambigüidade forçar Day a pedir um tempo limite defensivo?
O VUCA realmente servirá ao Ohio State Buckeyes de 2026 ou servirá como uma piada para a loucura dos treinadores e sua afinidade com siglas? Nas margens, talvez.
