Ohio State celebrated with 30,000 Buckeyes fans who flooded Ohio Stadium, dressed in scarlet and gray. First on the agenda was The Best Damn Band in the Land, setting the stage as they played before the team entrance. Ross Bjork, the athletics director for The Ohio State University, kicked off the event. His “O-H” met the roaring chant of “I-O.” After TE Gee Scott Jr.’s invocation prayer, Gov. Mike DeWine, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Ohio State President Walter "Ted" Carter and head coach Ryan Day spoke at the celebration. Players Jack Sawyer, TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, Cody Simon and Will Howard also gave speeches. “It took everybody to become national champions, and today we say thank you,” Day told the crowd. Sawyer, whose scoop-and-score in the waning minutes of the Texas game is now part of Buckeyes lore, said he loved how the team represents being Ohioan. “What I love about this team is it really embodies what it’s like to be from Ohio,” said Sawyer, who is from Pickerington. “You get punched in the mouth, you always get back up and keep fighting. That’s what everybody in Ohio does and will continue to do.” Bjork presented the National Football Foundation's MacArthur Bowl trophy, the American Football Coaches Association trophy and the 50-pound College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.