Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day speaks to the media Tuesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
Ohio State football has started the season 2-0 for the fourth straight year, beating then-No. 1 Texas before pummeling Grambling State.
Next up, for the first time in 15 years, the Buckeyes will take on in-state foe and reigning Mid-American Conference champion the Ohio Bobcats.
This will be OU’s third straight Power Four conference game to open the season, as the Bobcats are coming off a 17-10 win over West Virginia after falling on the road to Big Ten opponent Rutgers 34-31.
Head coach Ryan Day said the game is great for the state of Ohio, but he also understands how motivated the Bobcats will be on Saturday for the game, which kicks off at 7 p.m.
“When you’re from the state of Ohio, having the memory of playing in the Horseshoe during your college career is significant,” Day said. “We know these guys are going to be playing with their hair on fire.”
Here are three takeaways from Day’s Tuesday press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center:
Special teams impact
Ohio State’s punt returns have not matched the standard Day wants through the first two games.
The Buckeyes have forced 11 punts but have only returned one–for eight yards.
“That’s an area coming out of the game that we’ve got to improve on for sure,” Day said. “We lost 47 hidden yards with the ball bouncing around the ground.”
The Buckeyes’ starting punt returner is Brandon Inniss, but Day said he is not afraid to make a change at the position, incorporating Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Caleb Downs, if we needed.
Offensive versatility
Buckeyes’ offense exploded for 651 yards and 70 points against Grambling State.
Day said that for Ohio State to continue its success, it will need to keep changing its offensive personnel on the field.
“In my opinion, when a defensive player goes from 11 to 12 to 13, back to 11 to tempo to empty, and all these different things come into play, it’s harder for them to nail down exactly what you’re doing,” Day said.
Personnel definitions:
- 11 personnel: one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers
- 12 personnel: one running back, two tight ends, two wide receivers
- 13 personnel: one running back, three tight ends, one wide receiver
- Empty: only the quarterback in the backfield
“The more versatility you have, the better,” Day said.
Shifting mental focus
Throughout Ohio State’s preseason camp, the goal was simple: beat Texas.
Now that the Buckeyes conquered the Longhorns, they’ve had to shift their week-to-week approach.
“Right now, it’s all on Ohio,” Day said. “It’s our preparation for these guys and playing well and really trying to master our process and our practice.”
Day said Ohio State’s preparation during the weekdays leading up to the game is crucial, especially this early in the season.
“Having the discipline to master each one of those days as we play on Saturday, that’s kind of where we are right now,” Day said. “We’ve got to focus in on winning this game, and then we’ll kind of figure out what’s coming next.”
The Buckeyes will enter a bye week following Saturday night’s game.
