Following the Buckeyes' 52-13 win over Akron, C.J. Stroud and Ryan Day took the podium at SHI Stadium to discuss the dominant victory.
Ohio State's starting quarterback said he felt much better than he had in previous weeks after his five-touchdown performance, and Day said the Buckeyes finally played up to their potential in the road win.
For a look at everything Stroud and Day touched on during the post-game presser, here's a bullet-point breakdown.
QB C.J. Stroud
- Stroud says his shoulder is feeling better and better, and says he's happy to be healthy when many guys on the team are not.
- "I definitely felt way better coming into this game with my shoulder." Stroud says he "really wasn't feeling right" going into the Tulsa game. Says he was able to step into throws today.
- Stroud said the week off allowed him to realize the position he's in as quarterback at Ohio State.
- "Definitely blessed to show what I can really do." Stroud says "the real people know what I can do." Stroud says he doesn't care about what the outside world has to say about him.
- Stroud credits the Buckeye WRs, RBs and TEs for some of his success against Rutgers.
- "We're a brotherhood, regardless. Whoever's playing." Stroud says there's no competition or "beef" among Ohio State quarterbacks.
- Stroud says he felt like every throw of his was OK today. Stroud says "this is the beginning."
- "Even before I was here, it was Ohio against the world." Stroud says he has realized that even more since going through adversity early in the season.
Ryan Day
- Day on Stroud benefiting from time off: "I thought it showed during the week. Maybe it gave him a little perspective, too."
- Day says "the message all week has been toughness," and that he felt like Stroud showed that on a couple occasions.
- "This was an important game for us because I felt like Sept. 2 a month ago, we were a much different team."
- Day says this was the first time he feels like Ohio State has played like how it was supposed to play this season.
- Day says players like Ronnie Hickman and Cam Martinez are "not young anymore" after five games.
- Day says it's good to get two wins on the road to open the Big Ten season.
- "You have to play well early in conference games like this." Day credits Martinez' early PBU on the Rutgers fake punt attempt.
- Day says the team was "prepared to play this game on special teams."
- Day on Stroud: "This is what he capable of. Now he's gotta bring it, he's gotta be consistent."
- On Rossi: "He deserves everything that he's getting." Day says he's the "quarterback of the punt team" and does "all these thankless jobs." Says Rossi is "one of the most reliable guys" on the team.
- On TreVeyon Henderson: "It was my decision to hold him out the second half. He was ready to go."
- Day says Stroud "didn't get rattled" against Rutgers today.
- When the defense is playing the way it is, you just play with more confidence.
- "We're in an area where patience is not allowed." Day says he had a conversation with Gene Smith about how the team just had to be patient at the beginning of this season.
- "Having a win like this, it's given us some juice now." Day says "now we might have a good team."
Ohio State players Chris Olave, Denzel Burke and Cameron Martinez met with reporters on the field after Day and Stroud finished talking.
