This college football season has been a total mind-bender, like something straight out of Inception! Top seeds? Gone. Unexpected transfers? Everywhere. And now, we’ve got Ohio State vs. Texas and Penn State vs. Notre Dame. While those matchups dominate the headlines, other teams are grinding away on the recruiting trail. Dan Lanning and Ryan Day? They’re probably sweating bullets right now. Meanwhile, Curt Cignetti is quietly luring recruits and flying under the radar.

It’s surprising to see players from Ryan Day’s team hitting the transfer portal right before they could potentially make a big win in the semifinals. Never mind, the play time matters, so their running back, Sam Williams-Dixon, plans on entering the portal. Plus, he will not remain with the team through the end of the playoffs either. Talking about his gameplay on the field in his first season with the Buckeyes, Sam logged seven carries for 53 yards. But it looks like Williams wants to seek a new opportunity somewhere else, leaving his team in an offensive setback.

Now coming to the former No. 1 team that held it down all season—until they ran into Ryan Day’s defensive juggernaut, Ohio State. The Buckeyes didn’t just win; they straight-up dominated, sacking Ducks’ star QB Dillon Gabriel a jaw-dropping eight times. Gabriel’s no slouch at dodging pressure, but Ohio State’s defense was on another level. That might explain why Ducks’ WR Ryan Pellum hit the transfer portal after just one season. Sure, he was a 4-star recruit who flipped from USC to Oregon with big dreams, but with only two games and zero stats to his name, it’s clear something didn’t click.

For the ‘Google me’ HC Curt Cignetti, the title game is out of reach this season, but at least he’s winning the recruiting battle for the Hoosiers. From the doldrums of the Big 10 to winning 11 games for the first time in program history, Curt Cignetti really made the Indiana Hoosiers shine this season. See, it’s evident that their losses came against arguably the best teams in the CFB, but then he knows where they lack and got Pitt’s starting cornerback Ryland Gandy to his team.

This redshirt junior was a key starter for Pittsburgh last year, racking up 40 tackles (23 solo) and snagging 2 pass breakups in 13 starts. With two years of eligibility left, he brings a lot of experience to the table. This is a big get for Cignetti and a serious boost for Indiana’s defense. Let’s see if this recent addition can change something on their defense or not. But for now, let’s talk about the man of the hour, Ryan Day, and his team.

Ryan Day’s transfer portal struggles

With the Cotton Bowl drawing near, Ohio State has experienced a surge of 10 transfers, including quarterbacks Air Noland and Devin Brown. That’s an even bigger hit to their offense just before the most crucial game. Additionally, they will be bidding farewell to Jayden Ballard and Kojo Antwi from the wide receiver unit. Some losses are also anticipated in the offensive tackle and linebacker positions.

However, it is important to note that these players have had limited playing time this season, so it is not a catastrophic setback for the team. Although losing depth is never ideal, these departures are not significant enough to jeopardize their chances in the playoffs. Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to observe how everything unfolds.

Even Josh Pate chimed in between all this mess, talking about the huge numbers of players entering the portal. Pate said, “Ohio State may be about to win a National Championship… They’re doing it because they recruited guys… they recruited them and then they reinvested in them.” 

Moreover, it’s not just the offense that’s seeing a major shift; even Ohio State’s defense might see some setbacks after their pass rusher Mitchell Melton entered the portal. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are the favorites, but missing key players could throw a wrench in their plans. Let’s see how it unfolds and what the future holds for this roster.