Head Coach Ryan Day listens as a reporter reads off a question in his Oct. 1 press conference at The Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Credit: Liam Ahern | Sports Photo Editor
After defeating its eighth straight ranked opponent against No. 17 Illinois 34-16 Saturday, Ohio State will now face Wisconsin, which is searching for its first Big Ten win.
The Badgers have been outscored 88-20 in three conference games, including a 37-0 drubbing to Iowa in their last matchup.
The Buckeyes’ top-ranked defense, which allows a paltry 6.8 points per game, will face a Wisconsin offense that ranks last in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per contest.
Ohio State comes into the game as a 27.5-point favorite, the largest margin against a conference opponent all season.
Despite the lopsided on-paper matchup, head coach Ryan Day’s focus for the week remains the same.
“We say it all the time: We’ve got to focus on us and our process,” Day said.
Here are the takeaways from Day’s Tuesday press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Bouncing back from Illinois
Against Illinois, the Buckeyes produced 272 yards of offense, their second-fewest of the season, but Day said he is not concerned about the team’s performance.
“When you go on the road and you can take care of the ball and win the turnover battle 3-0, you give yourself a great chance to win,” Day said. “That was the story of that game, in my opinion.”
After taking a 20-3 lead into halftime, the Fighting Illini outgained Ohio State 189-90 in the second half against.
“We have to be able to adapt,” Day said. “There’s no question, we are always looking to be explosive and want to be efficient.”
Secondary without Lorenzo Styles
An injury to nickel cornerback Lorenzo Styles meant the Buckeyes were forced to change things up in the secondary against Illinois.
Jermaine Matthews Jr., who started all five games at outside cornerback, slid into the nickel, and five-star true freshman Devin Sanchez started opposite of Davison Igbinosun at boundary cornerback.
Sanchez made an immediate impact, breaking up a pass on Ohio State’s first defensive possession.
“For a young player to play with that type of confidence in that environment, it was a great sign,” Day said.
Day said he was pleased with how Ohio State’s secondary responded to Styles’ absence.
“I feel like we have at least created a little bit of flexibility in depth right there,” Day said.
Running back depth
Ohio State lost its two leading rushers from 2024, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, when both left for the 2025 NFL draft.
To fill the void, the Buckeyes turned to freshman Bo Jackson, West Virginia transfer C.J. Donaldson and returning sophomore James Peoples, who have carried the run game.
Jackson and Donaldson each have 58 rushes on the season, while Peoples has 40. Each running back is finding his own role within the offense.
“You can look at each guy and probably recognize their strengths and weaknesses, but we’re always trying to put them in a position to maximize their strengths,” Day said.
The Buckeyes, who managed just 2.9 yards per carry on 34 rushing attempts against Illinois, will look to rebound against a Wisconsin defense ranked fourth in the Big Ten against the run, allowing only 97.5 yards per game.
