In his Tuesday press conference, Ryan Day said Ohio will come to the Horseshoe and "play with their hair on fire." The Ohio State head coach had a similar message for reporters on Wednesday, sharing that the Bobcats are "well-coached" and will "play hard" for all four quarters this weekend.
Day also addressed Julian Sayin's ball placement, Ohio State's offensive line and running back rooms and more during his brief press conference on the Woody Hayes Athletic Center indoor practice field. Here is a bullet-point recap of the session:
- Day said good ball placement is crucial for a quarterback to have success at the college level. Day said Sayin's ball placement has impressed him this season. “It’s so important, in terms of accuracy. … It’s one of those things that usually people have. It’s innate. There’s anticipation. There’s timing. There’s touch. …. That’s one thing we look for in quarterbacks. … We’ve seen him do that in practice time and time again. That’s a good thing for a young quarterback.”
- Day loves how physical Ohio State's running backs have been through two games. However, he wants to see the position room be more explosive moving forward. “There’s physical play going on. We’ve got to keep building on that. … There’s a lot that goes into the run game. Everybody is involved with it. … I thought there were some physical runs in week 1, not explosive, we wanted to be more explosive, and that’s what we’re gonna continue to work on.”
- Day said “timing” is a significant reason Ohio State’s offensive line has yet to allow a sack through two games. “I think the ball is coming out on time, and I think that there’s good timing there. … A big part of that is the work we put in during the week, challenging each other. … Guys are working up front to get better. … There’s a lot that goes with it. We have to continue to get better. That’s the focus. We have to continue to get better.”
- Nick McLarty was the punter for Ohio State’s lone punt against Grambling State. Day said Joe McGuire is still the Buckeyes’ starter at the position. “Joey is the starter, but Nick is making progress. He hit some bombs yesterday, so we’ll keep a close eye on it. But right now, Joey is our punter.”
- Day complimented the Ohio football program and head coach Brian Smith. “They’re well-coached. They have a good team. We know these guys are gonna come in here and play hard.”
- Day said Davison Igbinosun worked hard all offseason to play disciplined football this season and limit his penalties. “He’s still gonna be aggressive. That’s who he is. But I think he’s learning to control that aggression. … We want guys who are aggressive. … He’s worked really hard in the offseason. He’s one of our most competitive guys out there.”
- On Igbinosun, Day added: “He lets his play do the talking, and he’s a huge leader for us. We’re gonna need him here.”
- On Caleb Downs’ interception against Grambling State: “He was anticipating everything about it. That’s who he is. … His approach rubs off on others.” Day added on Downs: “It’s great when your best players are your hardest workers.”
