Ryan Day and his Ohio State Buckeyes were at a low point when the program officially offered 5-star St. John's Prep quarterback Christopher Vargas. OSU had just lost to TTUN in the 2024 edition of "The Game" at the "Shoe."
The Buckeyes did one of the all-time sell jobs to land the 2028 recruit, then a freshman in high school in November 2024, over the next 20 months.
Credit to clevelanddotcom's Stephen Means for pointing out Vargas' offer date. Ohio State went from the depths of despair after 2,191 days of not beating the Wolverines to a definite for Vargas through one of the great runs in modern college football.
Ohio State's run through the 2024/2025 CFP was legendary
It's hard to imagine Vargas's decision not being influenced by the Buckeyes' national championship victory in January 2025. To knock off the Tennessee Volunteers, Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish en route to that win made the run all the more impressive.
The Vols added to the enormity of it, but the other three tests were massive. Oregon had clipped Ohio State at home earlier in the regular season, while Texas had 12 players who were drafted months later on its roster. Notre Dame was a talent factory itself, with Al Golden running a defensive wagon and Riley Leonard leading the charge.
The Indiana Hoosiers faced a comparable group, but the Buckeyes might still own the most impressive CFP run in the 12-team era. That is definitely a selling point for a talent like Vargas.
Ohio State finally beating TTUN the cherry on top
Funny enough, TTUN tried the same strategy as OSU, offering Vargas after a loss. The Buckeyes bludgeoned the Wolverines 27-9 in Ann Arbor this past November, but TTUN offered Vargas this past January. Though Sherrone Moore never offered, Kyle Whittingham gave it a try and joined a list of over 20 programs that offered Vargas.
No dice. Beating the Maize and Blue may have been the cherry on top for Ohio State's Vargas pursuit. Not only did Day win a title, but he finally got over the Wolverines hump. The 2025 season didn't end ideally, but the Buckeyes only lost to the two teams in the 2025/2026 CFP title game.
You wonder if Vargas even needed all of the proof in the pudding Day offered, though.
Christopher Vargas may have been sold on the Buckeye Way
There is an obvious allure to the Ohio State University to any kid around the country. Massachusetts is long past the days of Matt Ryan, so the nearest true powerhouse is the Buckeyes geographically. Even if Vargas were across the country, though, like California natives Brady Edmunds and Julian Sayin were before him, the Buckeye Way would resonate.
Ohio State's consistent dominance has earned the respect of nearly every observer. Culture drives the product. The product delivers every year, nearly without fail. This has been going on for decades.
Vargas may have been sold long before any of the success of the past 20 months. Day is from New England, too, and was developing NFL QBs long before winning a title. The situation would've been a good one regardless of the historic success from November 2024 through August 2026 seen in Columbus.
Good thing the Buckeyes had it, though.
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