Ryan Day Radio Show: Ryan Day Says “Every Point is Gonna Matter” Against Washington, the Buckeyes Must Have Good Communication and Discipline During First Road Test

Ryan Day said the Buckeyes "tried to keep the same routine" during their bye week, stressing the importance of being “the best practice team in America.” He believes that consistency will be crucial in a hostile environment, where communication and discipline will determine how well Ohio State handles the noise and energy inside Husky Stadium.

Washington presents no shortage of challenges. The Huskies boast a dangerous trio on offense in quarterback Demond Williams Jr., running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston — three playmakers Day described as some of the toughest his defense will face this season. Ohio State will look to counter with versatile defenders like Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs, whose ability to adapt and disguise coverages could be the difference in the matchup.

On the other side of the ball, all eyes will be on Julian Sayin in his first Big Ten road start. Day praised Sayin’s growth and leadership while also pointing to wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith as game-changing playmakers who can help Sayin thrive in an unfamiliar atmosphere.

Day said the Buckeyes are “fired up to get on this plane today and get out there.” Now, after two weeks of preparation, Ohio State’s chance to prove itself comes Saturday afternoon in Seattle.

Ryan Day

On Ohio State's two weeks of practice

• "We tried to keep the same routine as much as we could."
• "Good to get back to a game week."
• Day said Ohio State works to be "the best practice team in America."
• "The way we practice every day is how we're gonna play in the game."
• "I think we've had a solid week of practice. Gotta continue that today."

On Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles

• "We need those guys to play great in this game."
• "We have a huge challenge ahead of us."
• Day said Reese and Styles' versatility will be crucial for Ohio State's defense to have success against Washington.

On Washington's offense

• Day called Washington "very good on offense" and said the Huskies have "a lot of weapons." Day said Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston are players Ohio State's defense will always have to have on its radar.
• "It starts with the quarterback. He's dynamic with his feet. He's been very efficient, very accurate. He can hurt you in the passing game, hurt you in the run game by equating numbers. And then Coleman is running really, really strong — a big, powerful back. And then Boston is as good a receiver as we'll see in the country."
• "We know going into this environment that they'll be amped up, so a great challenge for our team, but man, we're fired up to get on this plane today and get out there."

On Caleb Downs

• "He's another guy that can do multiple things, which helps us and allows us to do different things in terms of disguise."
• "He does some things in the back end and can cover a lot of different body types, which is great for us."
• "The most important thing is communication on the road, making sure everybody is on the same page. Caleb, Sonny, Arvell, all of those guys will be a big part of that."

On Ohio State's defensive coaching staff, its chemistry

• "Staff chemistry is very, very important."
• "The players see that, they feed off of it."
• "I believe we have really good staff chemistry."
• "They work hard. They pour into these players. They do a great job recruiting."

On Davison Igbinosun

• "The minute he walked on campus here, he had that edge and that competitiveness and that grittiness that a corner needs to have. He challenges our guys every day in practice."
• "He always wants to play against the best."
• "This is a really good receiver, so a great challenge for him, but we all know he'll be up for it because he loves competition."
• "Tim (Walton) and Davison both have had a lot to do with how our guys play now."

On Julian Sayin

• "Every day coming in with a growth mindset and wanting to get better."
• "This is gonna be the next step in his maturity to go get a win on the road in the conference against a really good opponent."
• "You go get this win no matter how it looks, it's a great confidence booster moving forward."
• "It's gonna be a very difficult environment. It will be loud. He's gonna have to lead, he's gonna have to command the huddle and he's gonna have to take care of the football."
• "What a great opportunity. What a great opportunity right here for the whole team, for him, to go into this type of environment. There's nothing like playing at home, but there's also nothing like playing on the road in a great environment like this."

On how Ohio State will handle Husky Stadium's environment

• "Communication is the No. 1 thing."
• "Having discipline is right there."
• "You have to be aggressive."
• Day said Ohio State can't feel its way through a difficult environment. He said the Buckeyes have to be aggressive against the Huskies.

On Carnell Tate

• "The next step in his maturity and his play."
• "We all know what a playmaker he is, but he's a big part of what we're gonna do on Saturday and moving forward with this offense because he has big playmaking ability. We need him in a lot of different ways."
• "Carnell, ever since he stepped in here, has been a very good player."
• "Special teams guy, does a lot of the dirty work for us. He plays great without the ball. Now he's in his third year in the program, and you can see him taking the next step."
• "Very much a self-starter, internally motivated and mature."

On Tate and Jeremiah Smith's knack for contested catches

• Day said he jokes with Brian Hartline about the difference between good coaching and good recruiting when he sees players like Smith and Tate showcase talents that can't be taught.
• "When they're in those situations, their talent takes over."
• "When you talk about talent, you're talking about their speed, their change of direction, their size and their ball skills."

On special teams, Jayden Fielding

• Day said "every point is gonna matter" in Ohio State's matchup with Washington
• "We know as possessions have gone down, the importance of a field goal kicker go up. Every drive has to end with points. We don't want to end with field goals, but we want to end with points."
• "I'm sure there will be situations where he's gonna have to step up in a big way."
• "We have confidence in him going in there. Got to give him good protection and use special teams as an advantage."