Ryan Day Radio Show: Ryan Day Thinks Ohio State Will Have “A Full Group Ready to Roll” Against Wisconsin, Expects the Badgers’ “Best Shot” This Weekend

On this week's Ryan Day Radio Show, the Buckeyes’ head coach said he welcomes the challenge of playing in Camp Randall Stadium, calling road environments “a great experience” that can bring a team closer together.

Day emphasized that last week’s win means “absolutely zero” as Ohio State looks ahead, stressing the importance of mastering fundamentals — “chopping wood and carrying water,” as he put it — rather than chasing flash. He credited the Buckeyes’ leadership for holding even the top performers accountable and warned against the dangers of complacency.

“We only get better by being uncomfortable," Day said.

Offensively, Day said Ohio State has been efficient but needs more explosive plays in the run game, and that their slower pace this season is about “dictating tempo” rather than rushing through drives. Defensively, he praised Jermaine Mathews Jr. for his competitiveness and said the versatility of Mathews, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese makes them "a defensive coordinator's dream."

As for Saturday’s matchup, Day expects Wisconsin’s best shot and praised the Badgers’ defense and physical front. His message to the Buckeyes before their bye week: “Go get this win, man. Let’s go.”

Following Day's appearance, Carson Hinzman joined Paul Keels and Jim Lachey on the broadcast.

Ryan Day

On winning a game on the road

• "A different experience."
• "A great experience."
• "It can bring you together. You have to focus a little bit more when you're on the road. All those things are good for the growth of the team."

On Ohio State continuing to improve

• "What we did last week means absolutely zero."
• "What matters is what we put in this week."
• "It's really the things that aren't flashy. You can't get bored with doing the same thing over and over and over again. That's the whole idea of chopping wood and carrying water. It goes right back to your technique. It goes right back to your pad level. It goes right back to your focus, to your effort. Nothing new or extraordinary, but that's, I think, in the end, what will separate us, is if we continue to stay focused and do the same things over and over again but get more efficient and get better at them."

On Ohio State's leadership this season

• "When your best players and your leaders and your hardest workers and the coaches are willing to hold those guys accountable — it's easy to yell at the third-string cornerback or whoever, the scout team guys. But when you're pushing the guys who are the leaders and the biggest contributors and the guys performing on the field, it holds everybody accountable."
• "All parts of the growth of the team."
• "We're halfway in now, and there's a lot of things we got to get better at, but to your point, the leadership has been strong so far this season."

On where Ohio State can improve

• Day said Ohio State's players know where they can improve.
• "We only get better by being uncomfortable."
• "The minute anybody feels comfortable in the building, that's a bad sign."
• "We have to fight against complacency."

On Ohio State's run game

• "I do think we've been efficient."
• "I'd certainly like to see more explosive ones."
• Day said he's been stressing the importance of Ohio State's running backs breaking tackles, making people miss and fighting for extra yards.

On Ohio State's slower offensive pace this season

• Ohio State has averaged 60 plays a game during its 6-0 start.
• Day said college football's pace of play has changed in recent years, transitioning from faster-paced, no-huddle schemes to slower-paced, huddle schemes.
• "We're not trying to do that. Feel free to get first downs and keep the thing moving. But we're gonna try to make sure we're dictating the tempo the way we feel best. But ultimately, it comes down to efficiency in the game. We want to be explosive. We certainly always want to score points when we're on the field. We'll continue to work different tempos and make sure we're being efficient, but that's the most important thing."

On Julian Sayin's growth

• "I think Julian is seeing things well."
• Day said Sayin has reached a point where he can share what he likes and doesn't like in Ohio State's game plan.
• "I really am impressed with what he and the quarterbacks and Billy Fessler do in the meeting room. I'm in there daily listening to the preparation. I can tell when I go into the meeting, they've already put a bunch of film work in, they've done a bunch of it, because he already knows the answers. That's a good sign for a quarterback."

On whether Illinois had success while running tempo

• "They did hit a couple of plays on the tempo, so we'll make sure we're getting lined up and doing a good job with that."
• "There's give and take to everything. You want to play in tempo? That means the game is gonna be a little bit longer and more plays."
• "Everyone has to make their decisions, but it's our job to make sure we're lining up and playing fast."

On Jermaine Mathews Jr.'s performance against Illinois

• Day said Mathews has "good short-area quickness."
• "He's competitive. He's tough. He's got a good sense for the ball, kind of a baller. When you see him make plays like that, it's just exciting to watch."
• Day said Ohio State is "hoping to get Lorenzo (Styles Jr.) back in this game," but if the Buckeyes need to move Mathews inside, they will.
• "When a guy can play inside or outside, it's a little bit harder to identify sometimes what coverage we're in."
• Day said Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Matthews "can do multiple things." Day called players like them "a defensive coordinator's dream."

On whether AI has impacted game planning

• Day said he believes there will be a time when AI helps teams put game plans together.
• “We’re not quite there yet."
• Day said Ohio State has used AI for analytics and data tracking. They’ll look for ways to use it to their advantage.
• Day said Ohio State will be "all over it" if and when AI can give teams an advantage.

On Wisconsin

• "I've been impressed watching their film on defense."
• "I think they probably feel like their backs are against the wall."
• "We got to expect their best shot."
• "There's a great environment there. Camp Randall always is a difficult place to play."
• "It is about us, but we got to make sure we know our opponent. It's all about preparation."

On Wisconsin linebacker Tackett Curtis, the Badgers' defensive front

• "Tackett Curtis is a guy we recruited. He was a really good player. He's very athletic and can go sideline to sideline."
• "I think they're a good defense. I really do."
• Day said Wisconsin's rushing defense impresses him.
• "We got to come in and certainly get a fast start."

On whether Ohio State will be at full strength vs. Wisconsin

• "I think. I think."
• "Go get it. Go get this win, man. Let's go. Everything we got, and then we have a chance to heal up for a week and go from there."
• "We got to recover, get healthy and then go play hard on Saturday."
• "I feel like we'll have a full group ready to roll."

On the potential for inclement weather in Madison

• "It's all about your focus."
• "Just adapting."
• "You got to handle it better than your opponent. That's the bottom line."
• "We just got to handle it."
• "It's part of the game. Just something we got to handle."
• "It's an outdoor game, just gotta figure out.

On whether Ohio State will participate in the "Jump Around" tradition

• "If guys want to jump, they can jump, I don't know," Day said with a laugh.
• "Just make sure we're out there playing the next snap and doing well. That's all."

Carson Hinzman

On the work he does presnap for Ohio State

• "There's a lot of work presnap."
• Hinzman said his role includes identifying the defense's formation and identifying where Ohio State's combo blocks should go.
• "There's where, I guess, the magic happens of how a play is gonna get run."
• "You got to be confident in what your calls are."

On Ohio State's offensive line chemistry

• "I think chemistry is a huge thing on the offensive line."
• "It's good just to have that trust among the five up there."
• Hinzman said Josh Padilla is a great communicator. "I trust him with any call as well."

On Ohio State's offensive line relationships

• "We're just having a lot of fun out there."
• "When we're having fun, we play the best, we're playing fast."
• "If you see us out there laughing and goofing around with each other, that's when we're playing our best ball."

On Ohio State's offensive line vs. Ohio State's defensive line

• "We always say iron sharpens iron, and man, there's a lot of iron out there. Look at KMac, that's a lot of iron out there, heavy iron. But I mean, he's been getting us better every day." 
• "Our defensive line is unreal."
• "From the time I got here, even to now, we've had the opportunity to go against some really great defensive linemen — ones who are in the NFL now, and ones who will be in the NFL soon. It's been a great experience to go up against and compete with those guys."