They began this all or nothing journey in July at Big Ten media days, declaring a championship or bust mentality. 

They finished it with another loss to Michigan.

Now Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork wants to shake up things with the college football heavyweight. Not by firing coach Ryan Day — but by rethinking the approach to the entire season. 

And not just the Michigan game. 

“The whole championship or bust mentality, you can’t operate that way,” Bjork said last week during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. “You want to win every game, but if you have that mindset, you’re not going to perform at your best.”

Bjork then stopped mid-sentence, and turned to the Michigan game — and how it has swallowed Day during a four-game losing streak. 

“You’re never going to downplay the (Michigan) game,” he continued. “But how do you not allow that to add pressure to perform? That’s what we want to look at. Look, Ryan wants to win. He knows what he signed up for. We all know what we signed up for. He knows what the stakes are.”

In the weeks that followed Ohio State’s fourth consecutive loss to Michigan, Bjork has responded with a vote of confidence for one of college football’s most successful coaches, and has begun to investigate the process of changing the mindset of a team and how its season revolves around one game.

If the entire season is based on one game – admittedly, a very important game – how do you prevent a program and its players from focusing so much on one game, they don’t see big picture? 

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In this case, big picture is Ohio State’s strong chances of winning the national title through the College Football Playoff, beginning with a first-round home game Saturday against Tennessee. 

And before we steer back into that all-or-nothing lunacy, Bjork says Day is his coach — no matter what happens in the CFP.

“How do you take the pressure off? It starts with what’s the environment around (Day), what’s the structure?” Bjork said. “Those are the things we can help him with. How do we talk about things differently moving forward? We have those kind of conversations.’

The Michigan game has clearly become a mental block for Day and the program. There was no bigger sign of that than what played out after last month’s shocking 13-10 home loss as a 19½-point favorite.

After the game, Ohio State players tried to prevent Michigan players from planting a flag at midfield of Ohio Stadium, and a fight broke out. Police had to use pepper spray to disperse players.

Day stood outside the melee, arms folded and watching with a stunned look on his face. He never attempted to break up the fight, or move Ohio State’s players to the locker room until it was far too late.

Ohio State put everything — mentally, physically, schematically — into the rivalry game with Michigan, zeroing in on ending the losing streak above all. Days before the game, Day compared the game to “war,” and said ‘there are consequences” for the loser.

It’s that all or nothing mindset, Bjork says, that has to change. Or at least needs to be part of a bigger picture. 

‘We hadn’t even played yet, hadn’t practiced yet,’ Bjork said of the July all-or-nothing declaration. ‘It’s good to be confident. We don’t want to discourage that. Nick Saban was the coach who started the whole process idea. It’s all about the process. Don’t focus on the result, focus on the process.”

It was a singular focus this season that led Ohio State to go all-in on beating Michigan and winning the national title. Day added All-Americans at tailback (Quinshon Judkins), center (Seth McLaughlin) and safety (Caleb Downs) from the transfer portal as part of a near $20 million NIL budget, and convinced UCLA coach Chip Kelly to leave his job, and take a demotion and paycut to coordinate the Ohio State offense. 

Kelly and Day focused on Michigan and developing a “physical” mentality to trade blows with the Wolverines — then tried to run the ball against the greatest strength on the Michigan team. Over and over and over. 

Michigan was 72nd in the nation against the pass going into the game, and Ohio State had the best receiver in college football (Jeremiah Smith). Yet the Buckeyes decided to run the ball directly into the teeth of the No. 3-ranked defense in the nation, and had 77 yards on 26 carries.

Meanwhile, Smith had five catches for 35 yards — and never stretched the field and forced the Michigan secondary to cover third-level throws. 

That’s bad coaching, but bad coaching based on a flawed philosophy of one game supersedes all. It also temporarily negated all that Ohio State did this offseason to make 2024 unique, and left a loyal and angry fanbase teetering toward apathy. 

Minutes after the College Football Playoff games were announced, Ohio State sold out its home game against Tennessee. But since then, more than 42 percent of the secondary market tickets sold on SeatGeek have been bought by Tennessee residents, and only 23 percent by those in Ohio, according to the Columbus Dispatch. 

On StubHub, 37 percent of the tickets have been purchased by Tennessee residents, and 34 percent by those in Ohio.

But all of the negativity now surrounding the program can end with a win over Tennessee, which would move Ohio State into the quarterfinals to earn a rematch with No. 1 Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

The same Oregon team that Ohio State could’ve (and probably should’ve) beaten in October, and the second game of a potential four-game national championship run that would be the only salve for losing to Michigan again. 

“The disappointment in that perceived pressure is (Day) wants to win at the highest level,” Bjork said. ”The good thing is we’re alive in the playoff. We’ve got a really good team, and we’ve got a shot.’ 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Nine months after he was introduced by the Atlanta Falcons as the franchise quarterback – with a massive contract and huge expectations – Kirk Cousins now must deal with getting benched. 

Cousins, 36, was demoted on Tuesday night and replaced him with first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. 

“It’s disappointing,” Cousins told reporters on Wednesday. “But it’s pro football. There’s no entitlement. You’ve got to go out and earn it every single day. If you don’t, you’re always going to be competing and change can happen.” 

Never mind that the Falcons brought Cousins to town with a four-year, $180 million contract that guaranteed $100 million. 

And it surely didn’t matter that Cousins helped the Falcons (7-7) snap a four-game losing streak on Monday night with a victory at the Las Vegas Raiders. His performance didn’t spare him from losing his job. Instead, it provided Falcons coach Raheem Morris with the impetus to make the switch as Cousins continued displaying the misfires illuminated during the worst stretch of his career. 

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In his past five games, Cousins threw nine interceptions, including one on Monday night, and passed for just one touchdown.  

Morris, in his first year at the helm, said the turnovers provided the ultimate factor. 

“We’ve been digging, as much as we can dig, to make things work, to try to get things going,” Morris said. “Just (on Tuesday) night came to the point when you want to make the decision, make the move. Wanted to play better at quarterback and felt like we’ve got the chance to play better. If we can play better at quarterback, who knows what can happen?” 

Cousins didn’t see this move coming – at least not so soon – but acknowledged the issues. Before Monday night, he had the longest streak of his career without throwing for a touchdown (four games). But even worse were the giveaways. 

No, Cousins insisted, his problems were not related to health as he tried rebounding from a torn Achilles tendon that wiped out the last half of his 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings. 

“It was more decision-making than anything,” he said. 

Cousins admitted that he tried to force too many throws but would not identify one pattern to link his NFL-high 16 interceptions.  

“I don’t think it’s confidence,” he said. “You’ve got to make good decisions all the time. If not, you’re going to pay for it.” 

Cousins’ woes coincided with the Falcons’ tumble the past few weeks. After nine games, the Falcons were 6-3 with a seemingly firm grip on first place in the NFC South. Now, beginning with the home matchup on Sunday against the New York Giants, they will likely need to win their final three games while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) stumble in order to make the playoffs. 

Still, despite his woes, Cousins was defiant. 

“I didn’t forget how to play quarterback,” he declared. 

“You’re kind of one day at a time right now,” he said. “You kind of always are in this league. In the offseason, that’s when those conversations happen. But we’re not there yet.”  

Cousins pledged to fully support Penix, who was drafted eighth overall from the University of Washington. After meeting briefly with Morris to learn of his demotion, Cousins, a 13th-year veteran, called Penix. He felt the gesture was important for the chemistry in the quarterback room and within the team. 

“I like to shoot elephants in the room,” he said. “So, I just wanted to shoot one.” 

Just not as much as he wanted to keep his job. 

Jake Paul wore an Islamic gown and head covering during a recent trip to the United Arab Emirates. Mind you, this is the same guy who wore a rooster hat during open workouts the week of his fight against Mike Tyson. And who climbed into the ring on fight night in a diamond-studded outfit he said cost $1 million.

So how much harder is it to imagine the YouTuber-turned-boxer wearing a world championship belt?

“I think it could happen in the next 24 months,” Paul, 27, said of winning a world title after beating Tyson by unanimous decision last month. “I truly, truly believe in my skills and my ability and my power.’’

Almost five years into his pro career, Paul boasts a record of 11-1 with seven knockouts. The skilled self-promoter also can generate big paydays. Of course he still faces a legion of skeptics, many who probably think there’s no chance Paul can win a world title between now and the end of time, much less within the next 24 months.

But credible people in boxing told USA TODAY Sports they think Paul will get a shot at a world championship. And maybe even win it.

“If he keeps improving, yes,’’ said Andy Foster, a former boxer and mixed martial arts fighter who now serves as executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, which regulates boxing. ‘He has good boxing skills and he takes it seriously.’’

Jake Paul’s possible path to a boxing world title

World titles are awarded by the four major sanctioning bodies – the International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Council (WBC) – in each of the sport’s 17 weight divisions. When it comes to Paul’s world title quest, he said he’ll fight as a cruiserweight, which is one step down from the heavyweight division and has a 200-pound limit at weigh-in.

The cruiserweight division has had less ‘transcendent’ talent than some of the other divisions, potentially creating a more favorable path for Paul, according to WBO president Gustavo Olivieri.

World titles can be won in two ways: a mandatory defense, when a sanctioning body’s reigning champion must fight a designated top contender; or a voluntary defense, when the reigning champion can pick a challenger.

‘I can’t imagine a cruiserweight champion not wanting to voluntarily defend against Jake and make potentially an enormous amount of money,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said.

Noel Mikaelian, who in November 2023 won the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title, said, ‘Every cruiserweight champion would look forward to that because of the payday. But I don’t think (Paul) would step up to that kind of competition.”

Generally speaking, a challenger must be ranked among a sanctioning body’s top 15 contenders, which does not include the reigning champion. Rankings are updated monthly. Generally speaking, that is, because the boxing world is populated by the likes of Gilberto Mendoza Jr., president of the WBA.

Mendoza has said he would like to see Paul fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for a WBA world title. Never mind that neither Paul nor Cesar are ranked in anyone’s top 15.

Last week, Paul nixed the idea.

“I want someone tougher and I want a real belt, not just like something that gets put up for entertainment value,’’ he said.

But Paul has not ruled out what would amount to a free ride into the top 15 so he could qualify to fight a legitimate champion.

“We’ve seen fighters that suddenly catapulted out of obscurity into top 10 or top 15’’ to qualify for a title fight, said Mike Silver, a boxing historian and author of “The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science.’

Teddy Atlas, a boxing analyst and former trainer, said powerful promoters have used their clout with sanctioning bodies to get fighters rated. He cited Peter McNeeley, who was Tyson’s first opponent after Tyson’s four-year hiatus from boxing while serving prison time for his rape conviction.

McNeeley, then promoted by Don King, was ranked as the WBC’s No. 10 heavyweight contender – a ranking Atlas said McNeely did not deserve. Tyson won by disqualification in the first round when McNeeley’s manager entered the ring after Tyson knocked down McNeeley twice.

Tyson followed that up with a third-round knockout of Buster Mathis Jr. — then ranked No. 4 by the IBF — and vaulted past Lennox Lewis and to the top of WBC’s list of contenders. That, in turn, set up a lucrative fight between Tyson and against Frank Bruno. Bruno was making his first WBC title defense when he lost to Tyson by third-round TKO.

Jake Paul and the business of boxing

Olivieri, the newly elected WBO president, was talking about Paul qualifying for a world title when he volunteered he might be willing to change some of the WBO’s qualifying rules. Of course the rule of thumb is boxing is a business, and Paul is big business.

“We have great boxers, tremendous athletes, but they can’t sell a ticket,’’ Olivieri said. “And that’s a huge problem. So I think Jake Paul has brought a new perspective to the sport from an entertainment standpoint. At the same time, he’s putting the work in.’’

The WBO has partnered with Paul and his non-profit, Boxing Bullies, that has helped refurbish boxing gyms and provide equipment to underserved youth. The WBO and Paul are based in Puerto Rico. But when it comes to winning a world title, Paul’s non-profit is no more important than the for-profit world of boxing’s four major sanctioning bodies.

For title fights, the sanctioning bodies take between 2 percent and 3 percent of each fighter’s earnings – but no more than $250,000. The sanctioning bodies also get upwards of $25,000 from the promoter for title fights. And that’s but a fraction of what the fighters and promoters would make from a title fight involving Paul.

Paul said he would make $40 million from his fight against Tyson, who was expected to make $20 million for the bout livestreamed by Netflix. The fight, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, generated more than $18 million at the live gate, a record for any U.S. boxing event held outside of Nevada, according to Most Valuable Promotions, co-founded by Paul.

“I think (Paul) will most certainly get a title fight because so much money is involved,’’ said Kathy Duva, a longtime boxing promoter.

Added promoter Joe DeGuardia, “The business and financial implications will assure that he will get a title shot if he wants it.’’

Who might Jake Paul fight to get ranked?

Paul likely would need a victory or two against boxers ranked in the top 15. For possible candidates, look no further than Paul Bamba, ranked No. 12 by the WBA.

Bamba, 35, has won 13 consecutive fights by knockout. But the past six of those came against opponents who had lost a combined 87 fights before losing to Bamba.

There’s also Blake Caparello, ranked No. 13 by the WBA, who looks potentially vulnerable at 38. He won the WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight belt in February with a knockout of Simone Federici. But Caparello has fought just twice since March 2021.

“There are guys in any weight class that can kind of sneak their way into the rankings and they may not be really that talented,’’ said Grey Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer for BoxRec, the official registry of boxing. “And Jake’s going to improve a lot.

“If you watch the Tyson fight, in my opinion, he looked very slow and lethargic (as a heavyweight). But if he went back to 200 pounds and he kept training and improving, it’s not crazy that he could beat somebody in the rankings. I don’t think that’s insane at all.’’

But breaking into the rankings is one thing. Actually beating a champion would be a far bigger test.

But Johnathon Banks, a notable trainer, said he thinks Paul is in good hands with a duo of trainers, Theo (Third) Chambers and J’Leon Love, products of the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit. They have worked together with Paul since his loss to Tommy Fury in February 2023, a stretch of five consecutive victories.

“He has some legit boxing people in his corner,’’ Banks said. “That’s one of the first steps you want to be at before you challenge for anything like a title or top contender spot.’’

Follow reporter Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

“I have learned that, in English, you might describe this as my ‘sanctuary’ or my ‘escape.’ The way I like to say it is that basketball is my ‘peace place,’ ” Dončić wrote in an op-ed piece for USA TODAY. “And now, as a new father, I think a lot about my daughter and young people around the world and the opportunities they have. Do they have the same access to basketball – to joy – that I had?

“I am worried that they don’t.

“That’s why I am proud to launch the Luka Dončić Foundation.”

The foundation officially launches Saturday on World Basketball Day, and with that launch, Dončić, a native of Slovenia, will release the findings of a study the foundation commissioned on youth basketball in the United States and Europe’s Balkan region.

Among the findings: “joy, creativity and exploration are being squeezed out of the game, and young athletes are leaving sports at an alarming rate, with 70% quitting by age 13, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics,” the foundation’s “Inside Youth Basketball” report said.

The foundation will “focus on ensuring that youth sports are a joyful, enriching force in the lives of kids around the world.”

Said Dončić: “Sports should be a place where kids can safely learn, grow, laugh, make mistakes and ultimately just have fun.”

The foundation has formed a leadership council consisting of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers and current greats to help accomplish its goals: Dirk Nowitzki, Steph Curry, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Tracy McGrady and Sabrina Ionescu; agent Bill Duffy; and coach Igor Kokoskov.

The study includes a section titled “The Total Hoops Approach,” a philosophy rooted in development, fundamentals and enjoyment.

“Basketball’s greatest power isn’t in creating champions, but in developing character,” the study says. “Through this lens, every practice, every game becomes an opportunity for growth that transcends the court. This approach creates environments where fundamentals are celebrated like standout plays, where mistakes are welcomed as opportunities, and where joy is as important as jump shots. In Total Hoops programs, coaches are mentors first, strategists second. Players learn every position, not just the one that fits their height. Development takes priority over winning, and long-term growth matters more than short-term success.”

The full report, which will be available online Saturday, has detailed solutions on what that looks like in practice.

Dončić, who has pledged an initial investment of more than $2.5 million, has partnered with FIBA, Jordan Brand, Gatorade and the Basketball Federation of Slovenia.

“This is my call to the worldwide basketball community: Let’s come together, share what we’ve learned, discuss new ideas and protect what makes basketball and all sports special,” Dončić wrote.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt