Penn State fired James Franklin, Drew Allar suffered a season-ending injury and the Nittany Lions have lost four consecutive games. Still, Ryan Day views the Nittany Lions as "a good team" who "haven't quite found their rhythm" in the past month, so he has his team on high alert before Saturday's Big Ten matchup.
“This is going to be a battle. Always is against Penn State.” the Ohio State head coach said on The Ryan Day Radio Show. “This is going to be a war.”
As Ohio State emerges from its second bye week, Day said the Buckeyes' attitude has been "excellent," which gives him confidence entering the weekend.
“The great players and the great coaches sustain throughout the season,” Day said. “We’re just getting started. To me, this is like the start of the season. Here we are. We’re in November. Here it comes.”
Following Day's appearance, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald joined the broadcast to speak with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey.
Ryan Day
On Ohio State’s mindset coming out of the bye week
- “The attitude of our players is excellent.”
- “Guys understand what needs to be done.”
- “It’s everybody’s responsibility to make sure we’re doing our job.”
- “The great players and the great coaches sustain throughout the season.”
- “We’re just getting started. To me, this is like the start of the season. Here we are. We’re in November. Here it comes.”
On Penn State
- “These guys just a month ago, you’re talking about in the running for a national championship. That talent hasn’t changed. It’s still the same team, a couple of missing pieces here, obviously with the head coach and the quarterback, but other than that, the rest of them are there.”
- “They’re a good team.”
- “The running backs run hard, the offensive line is as good as they were a month ago. They just haven’t quite found their rhythm yet.”
- “This is going to be a battle. Always is against Penn State.”
- “This is going to be a war. We’ve got to do everything we can to make sure we’re playing our best football.”
On Ohio State’s running backs
- Day said C.J. Donaldson has the most experience in Ohio State’s running back rooms, but sophomore James Peoples and freshmen Bo Jackson and Isaiah West haven’t played much football.
- Day said TreVeyon Henderson set a good example that Ohio State’s young ballcarriers should look to follow. Day said Henderson improved his vision and durability throughout his career.
- Day said the running back room’s development will be “a huge part” of the Buckeyes’ success down the stretch.
On Penn State’s desire to run the ball against Ohio State
- Day said Ohio State “has to stop the run” against Penn State.
- He praised Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton for running hard and making plays for the Nittany Lions.
- Day noted that Penn State interim coach Terry Smith told reporters this week that the Nittany Lions have to beat the Buckeyes in the rushing battle to win the game. “It’s pretty clear that that’s what the plan is gonna be.”
On what stands out to him about Ohio State right now
- “Probably just the confidence we’re playing with right now.”
- Day said Kayden McDonald, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs have set the tone in the middle of the defense. “From there, you look at IGB and Caden Curry… and as it goes from there, guys are gaining confidence from the inside out.”
- Day called Styles and Downs “almost like coaches with the way they understand the game.”
- “There’s a lot of chemistry that you can recognize with the staff that’s excellent right now.”
- “All of those things matter, but it’s gotta continue to be that way. We got to continue to build, and we got to prove it every single week.”
On Ohio State’s players watching film, being prepared
- “There’s no rule on watching too many hours of film.”
- “That’s part of our discipline on a week-to-week basis.”
- “The most prepared team usually wins the game.”
- “That’s a big challenge to our players.”
On Julian Sayin
- “Another guy whose confidence is growing.”
- “You’ve seen him make some plays with his feet when it’s maybe off-schedule.”
- “But the No. 1 thing is making good decisions and taking good care of the football. We need him to do that again this weekend.”
On Brandon Inniss’ touchdown against Wisconsin
- “I thought the throw and catch was pretty high-end.”
- “That was good. That’s something we work a lot at in practice.”
- “The quarterback has to make good decisions in those moments.”
On special teams
- “I was doing good (here) until you just brought up the fake punt. My blood pressure has now all of a sudden skyrocketed again. That cannot happen. That was embarrassing. Yeah, that can’t happen again so.”
- “When I think of those moments, you get yourself all wired again like you were on the sidelines.”
- “Great teams cover. We’ve talked about that a lot, but it needed to be re-emphasized in the bye week. Great teams cover. That’s kickoff and that’s on the punt team. We got to get down the field and cover.”
On the weight of Ohio State vs. Penn State
- “They know what’s at stake.”
- “This game right here — what’s at stake? An opportunity to get to Indianapolis. We know that’s on the line this week.”
- “At the end of the day, it’s about us.”
On Urban Meyer being honored for his Hall of Fame induction
- “It’s great to see him recognized.”
- “He had a huge influence on my life and so many people here.”
- “One of the best coaches in the history of college football.”
- “I’m sure he’ll be ringing that bell real loud on Saturday.”
- “One of the best things that happened to me was being around him.”
Kayden McDonald
On his relationship with Larry Johnson
- "He gives me that old-school new feeling."
- "He does a good job adapting every year figuring out the weaknesses and getting better at them."
- "Coach Johnson has been really good for us this season."
- "We're gonna keep building."
On his relationship with Matt Patricia
- "He's not my defensive coordinator; I call him my mental coach."
- "He helps me with stuff off the field, and everything on the field is taken care of."
On setting the tone at defensive tackle
- McDonald said he has an "unbridled spirit."
- "I want to set the tone for the whole team."
- "Me having the energy and sharing it with all my other teammates just brings everybody up."
On returning to Columbus to play a home game
- "I'm tired of the flights, jet lag and stuff."
- "I just want to be at home, get ready to play Penn State."
