Big Ten notebook: Ryan Day focuses on small margins for Ohio State

Ohio State began last season with 12 consecutive victories and ended it with two losses that changed the way the year will be remembered.

Ryan Day is not interested in overreacting to either stretch.

The Buckeyes followed a national championship with a trip to the Big Ten title game last season, where they lost to eventual national champion Indiana. A second defeat against Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals left Ohio State searching for ways to finish better without tearing what worked apart.

"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 Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. "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."

One advantage is unusual continuity at quarterback.

Julian Sayin returns for his second season as the starter, making this only the third time during Day's tenure that Ohio State has brought back its No. 1 quarterback. Sayin won his first 12 starts before the two season-ending losses and will again be paired with star receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Day said Sayin is stronger, more vocal and carrying himself differently after experiencing both ends of a championship chase.

"When you look in his eye now, you see a different person, a different body," Day said. "He's worked hard, gotten stronger. He's found his voice even more."

The lessons will be tested quickly during what Day called a "monster" schedule which includes a Week 2 road game at Texas.

--Moore passes on NFL to chase history at Oregon

Dante Moore could have been preparing for his first NFL training camp.

Instead, the Oregon quarterback returned to Eugene after being widely projected as the No. 2 selection in the 2026 draft, passing up a lucrative contract.

Moore said his decision was based on development and the opportunity to help Oregon win its first national championship, not concern over which NFL team might select him.

"It was a great decision," Moore said. "When I first did it, I was a little bit hesitant, but at this point where I'm at right now in the offseason, it's all full force. There's no looking back from here. These guys I'm on stage with are for sure people that could've went to the NFL last year. For us to come back, we all want to chase history and help us reach our goals."

Moore completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season while leading the Ducks to a 13-2 record and the CFP semifinals.

Dan Lanning said Moore had unfinished business and described this year's roster as potentially the most player-led team of his five seasons at Oregon.

"Obviously we have some great returning players that have been big contributors to our program," Lanning said. "One thing I recognize is last year I felt like we had a team that had a ton of talent. This year, I feel like we have a team with a lot of returning experience. A lot of those young players that played are now guys that have also had great experience, and I'm excited to see what that looks like."

--Fitzgerald returns to Big Ten with familiar blueprint

Pat Fitzgerald isn't viewing his first season at Michigan State as a chance to bring over everything that worked during his 17 years at Northwestern.

Instead, the Spartans' new coach is looking backward for the identity he wants to restore.

Fitzgerald said the traits he has emphasized since taking over have long been part of Michigan State's most successful teams. His task is turning those familiar ideals into daily habits for a roster still learning what will be demanded of it.

"I said it in my press conference when I got introduced, that this was born at Michigan State, and that's how we're going to play," Fitzgerald said. "We're going to play smart. We're going to play tough. We're going to play with discipline."

Fitzgerald has spent the offseason increasing competition throughout the roster and establishing a standard he hopes will eventually move the Spartans back into Big Ten contention after four straight losing seasons.

That process will require more than leaning on the program's history, but Fitzgerald made clear where he expects it to lead.

"We're looking forward to taking this program back to where it belongs at the highest level," Fitzgerald said.

--Field Level Media