Ryan Day's compliments toward Bret Bielema's Illinois team continue this week.
At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Day said he views the Fighting Illini as a "top-10" opponent considering the road environment. He's been careful not to let his team buy into any of the hype that's out there as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.
Speaking of Day's players, the coach spoke highly of Joshua Padilla after he made an appearance with Ohio State's first team against Minnesota on Saturday. Day is also hopeful to get defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. back after he suffered a stinger against the Golden Gophers.
- Day said that decisions about redshirts will be made at the end of the season, but Ohio State will see how the coming weeks go in whether it plays C.J. Hicks or Malik Hartford or preserves their redshirt.
- Day said that Ohio State will use whatever tempo gives it the most efficiency on offense. "The key is efficiency and whatever allows us the opportunity to be the most efficient. ... There's just a lot of things that can come into play when you're in the huddle."
- Kenyatta Jackson Jr. has a "chance" to be back this week. "We're hoping he plays on Saturday."
- On balancing targets for Jeremiah Smith and capitalizing on other guys being open for him: "A little bit of both where you design plays where you think the ball might go one place, but if the defense is designed to stop that ... then the ball needs to go somewhere else. ... Whether Jeremiah gets the statistics that he needs to get into the Heisman race or not, that's kind of out of his hands." Day added that the staff will continue to find creative ways to get Smith the ball, but not at the cost of offensive efficiency, and that Carnell Tate and Max Klare and others have done a great job capitalizing on the attention Smith draws.
- Part of the decision to try a 53-yard field goal with Jayden Fielding was to see if he could do it in-game. "He just missed it, but that's going to be something that's gonna come up down the road. ... We like what we see in practice, but it's gotta carry over to the game. ... He's got to make that kick."
- Day also said that transfer kicker Jackson Courville had a "back-and-forth" battle during camp and that Ohio State has "two kickers that are capable."
- On Julian Sayin's growth: "You're seeing Julian grow each week. ... It's important for any quarterback to understand what he's surrounded by. ... This is gonna be another challenge for him on the road. Second road game, a really difficult environment. To me, this is like a top-10 opponent on the road. ... He's growing every day and we've gotta keep giving him more and more to handle, but at the same time understanding that, it's about winning games."
- On how he views the 63-10 loss by the Fighting Illini to Indiana: "Pitch the game, throw it out, it's not who they are. ... Throw that film out. Don't even barely look at it. To me, that's not who we're playing. Whatever it was in that game, that's an outlier. ... Bret (Bielema) is one of the better coaches in the country, and he's a resilient guy, that's a resilient team. ... We know we're going to get their best shot on Saturday."
- On his defense's ability to adopt in-game adjustments: "You've gotta credit the players, they're the ones that are putting it on the field. ... That's the sign of a mature team, when you can make adjustments, but then execute them on the field."
- On the right guard position: "I think it's more about the work Josh is putting in on a daily basis. ... When you watch our second group go out there late in the game, they usually go three-and-out, these guys went right down the field. ... When we see Josh out there, we see really good play. ... We wanted Josh to get some work at right guard because we feel like he deserved that opportunity."
- Day said Sayin's recall has been elite this season and he's developing great command of the offense.
- Day feels like Ohio State is being "set up" whenever the media or others heap praise upon his team, and everyone on his staff is taking steps to ensure it doesn't go to anyone's head. "They say ignore the noise, you've heard that before. ... We haven't accomplished a thing. The only thing that's gonna matter is who's getting better week-in and week-out. ... It's not about the score, it's not about the opponent, it's about us."
- Day praised the way Matt Patricia has utilized Ohio State's linebackers and has loved the versatility of both starters. "Sonny went from the back end to the front end and now you can see him do things on the edge. Arvell went from scout team defensive end ... there's a lot that you can do with them. And the more versatility that you have, the harder it is for an offense to recognize what you're doing."
- There's still a demand from the coaching staff to get off to better starts to games. The key is having the best plan in place possible, Day said. "When you're on the road, environment like this, you definitely want a fast start."
- Day felt Ohio State got more push from its offensive line and better finishes from its running backs on the ground against Minnesota. "You're seeing yards after contact improve last week, which is an emphasis. It's improving and we know how important it's gonna be, especially in a road environment like this."
- Brian Hartline has done a "great job" calling plays so far, Day said. "It's never easy when you're doing something for the first time. ... He's got a good group around him. ... There's learning opportunities, which I give Brian credit for ... he's got a growth mindset. ... I think, for a first-time coordinator, he's off to a great start."
