Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey on 97.1 The Fan’s Ryan Day Radio Show on Thursday afternoon.
He talked about Ohio State’s ‘bye’ week and how he feels about the matchup with Indiana. The Buckeyes will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to face the Hoosiers at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
RYAN DAY COMMENTS AND QUOTES
On getting work done during the “bye” week:
“I felt like we kept the routine going.”
“Felt like we got some rest.”
“Good to get the work in. We had that extra day Monday to get the game plan in.”
On getting the roster healthy before the game on Saturday:
“It’s going to be a big run for those guys. They put a lot of time into it.”
“This week was good to get them back out on the practice field.”
On Ohio State’s offense:
“We had some good rhythm going. We got to bring it every week.”
“Indiana’s got a very good defense. We got to get back to the things that are important.”
On maintaining focus while on the road:
“It’s going to be a good atmosphere. Going on the road is a good thing. A lot of gain from being on the road.”
“It’s a long time to 7:30 p.m.”
“We travel well. Hopefully, we see some Buckeyes in Bloomington. This is going to be hard.”
On rotations at different position units:
“Early on, we tried to figure things out.”
Day said the offensive line is improving each week.
“On defense, we moved some guys around, got a rhythm going.”
“It takes a lot of stress off when you know what you’re going to get.”
On coaching the defense in practice and games:
Day said “everyone involved” on defense is helping with communication and calling plays.
On Indiana’s defense:
“I think those linebackers are very good. They’re stout up front.”
“These guys have a million reps under their belt.”
“We have to be on our game. They’ve always been aggressive.”
On C.J. Stroud’s in-game adjustments:
“These games are going to get tougher.”
“As long as he can continue to build… he’ll give us a chance to win these games.”
On TreVeyon Henderson’s carries:
“He’s been getting stronger and getting better.”
“He’s still got a lot of tread on the tires.”
Day said he is hungry for the ball and Ohio State plans to use him effectively in the future.
On working with offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson:
“We enjoy game planning. We have a lot of fun with it. It’s not easy.”
“You might have a good play, but how are you going to practice it to put it on the field?”
On moving the college football’s hash marks to NFL placements:
Day said he would be in favor of the hash marks moving to where the NFL places them, which is closer to the middle of the field.
When asked if the change would favor offense or defense, Day said, “both.”
“It would become a more wide-open game. You have to evolve with the times.”
“The college hash marks are antiquated.”
On Indiana’s offense:
“They lost Penix, who knows if he will be back or not.”
Day said he recruited Indiana quarterback Jack Tuttle, calling him a “good player.”
“They have a good system. These are veteran guys.”
On Olave and Tuttle:
“Really, nobody was recruiting [Olave]” because he didn’t play his junior year.
Day said Olave’s high school coach mentioned to him that “this kid is going to be a diamond in the rough.”
“It’s amazing how things work.”
On Day’s superstitions, pregame meals:
“I like to be the last one to eat. I think there’s something about that.”
Day mentioned that he eats “bland foods” the night before a game. He likes to eat food that “sits well” through pregame nerves.
On running back depth:
“We are rolling those guys. It’s good to get Miyan [Williams] back rolling again.”
“The more we can roll those guys, the better off we are.”
