COLUMBUS, Ohio — Head coach Ryan Day didn’t want to get into specifics about freshman Quinn Ewers’ decision to transfer from Ohio State. But he did admit that it caught him off guard

Ewers was the second scholarship quarterback to transfer from the Buckeyes in a week, along with redshirt freshman Jack Miller III, leaving Ohio State with freshman Kyle McCord and redshirt freshman C.J. Stroud as the only scholarship quarterbacks left on the roster heading into the Rose Bowl against Utah.

“I think he was in a very unique situation for sure,” Day said of Ewers. “We wish him nothing but the best of luck moving forward, but boy, there's just a lot that's going on right now in college football with a lot of this stuff, whether it’s early enrollees, the transfer portal and those type of things. We’re just going to do the best we can to adapt as time moves on, but we certainly wish him nothing but the best.”

Day said in a room like Ohio State’s quarterbacks room, he and the other members of the coaching staff do their best at the front end to explain the situation of the room to a recruit coming in, but that things could change, leading the program to adapt when necessary.

“A lot of guys want to play, and I get it,” Day said. “We’re just trying to do the best we can to forecast it. We feel really good about the ones on our roster right now.”

Day said it’s ideal to have three or four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster at a given time. Heading into the bowl game, Ohio State has two : Stroud and McCord, but the Buckeyes have one scheduled to come in 2022 four-star quarterback Devin Brown.

Ewers wasn’t the only scholarship player Ohio State lost to the transfer portal over the weekend.

Sophomore safety Craig Young informed the Buckeyes that he would enter to portal to find another college football program to play for.

“Craig felt that he wanted an opportunity to play more,” Day said. “I think that’s probably common with some of the guys that have decided across the country. At one point, there were 80 guys a day average in the portal, which is unbelievable. I think he just wanted an opportunity to play more. Again, with him nothing but the best of luck. Certainly don’t like to see guys leave, but understand it. Unfortunately, this is becoming somewhat of the norm. As coaches, it’s kind of hard sometimes, but we’re going to have to adapt and move forward.”

When asked about potential changes to the Ohio State coaching staff, including the addition of a new defensive coordinator, Day said that’s not what he and his staff is focused on, saying that the Rose Bowl and recruiting are their two main focal points.

In terms of coaching changes, Day said he and the rest of the coaching staff is always evaluating and seeing what’s the best next steps, which is just part of the process of the offseason.

“That’s part of the process year in and year out is seeing what’s right,” Day said. “ I don’t think you go into any type of situation with a predetermined set of thoughts. You just have to figure out on a year-to-year basis what’s best to move forward. We’re evaluating that, we’ll continue to evaluate. Really what we want to do is give these guys a good bowl experience.”

As for him personally, while multiple head coaching moves have been made, Day, who’s in for an increase in pay himself would not answer when asked if an extension is in the works for him to remain with Ohio State long term.

“I’m obviously honored to be the head coach here. I love it here,” Day said. “Really the focus has been on this bowl. This has been a tough week for us across the board after that game. We’ve just been trying to get back on the road and recruit. This is a great place to be. We have great kids, but I have to tell you, it was a tough week this week. We’re kind of getting ourselves back up off the floor and getting back on the road recruiting, and it will be great to be back with these guys, get back to preparing for a game again. That’s what matters.”

This is not where Ohio State wants to be.

Losing to Michigan in the final game of the regular season, losing a chance to play for the Big Ten title for the first time since 2016 and a chance at a national championship for the first time since 2018, Day said his team is in the process of recovering from what transpired in Ann Arbor.

And while the goal each year is to play in a national championship, Day said that his players will be ready to be up for the matchup in Pasadena.

“It’s a long month, but I think our guys are very, very competitive,” Day said. “They take a lot of pride in who they are and this team. We’ll get right to work this week and start grinding towards it, working towards the game.”

No players have indicated to Day and the coaching staff that they would be skipping the boal game to prepare for the NFL Draft. It’s something, the head coach said, he will handle on an individual basis and how it shakes out, but that he’s counting on everyone to play.

Both Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are expected to be first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.