Ohio State has its toughest test of the season this week as the Buckeyes head down to Texas to take on No. 15 TCU at AT&T Stadium.
Ryan Day will be the helm as acting head coach one last time before Urban Meyer's return to the sideline next week, and as such, he took over Meyer's weekly radio show on 97.1 The Fan once again this week, with the help of defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.
The two recapped the lopsided win over Rutgers and broke down this weekend's top-15 matchup with TCU.
Here is a recap of some of the highlights from each coach:
Ryan Day
On 900 program wins
- "Obviously, you know when you're coming to Ohio State, you're coming to one of the most storied programs in all of America."
- "I'm just humbled to be a part of it."
On Dwayne Haskins' preparation
- "He's working really hard in his preparation."
- "As a quarterback, you have to spend so much time preparing for the game, and you only get so many reps on the practice field."
- Said his preparation comes from time in the meeting room, watching film, talking through it and taking mental reps.
On the offensive line and handling pressure in the passing game
- "It does start with protection."
- Said watching a quarterback throw at 7-on-7 camps isn't a great evaluation. "It's really not football."
- "We have such a big line, you have to look over the trees."
- "Rutgers was bringing a lot of blitzes, but we were able to identify them."
Coffee with the coach question from Freddy in Spencerville: "How important is continued playing time for Tate Martell?
- "I think it's great to get him out there. For the first time, we got to see what he can do in a game."
- Praised Martell's throwing ability, running ability and toughness to take a big hit and come right back in and score a big touchdown.
- "He got the wind knocked out of him," Day said. "He wanted to come right in for the next play, and I was like 'Tate, you can't do that. Once you're injured, you have to come out for at least one play.'"
On the offensive line play
- "The thing you notice the most about the offensive lilne is their size, but they're also really athletic."
- "They actually move really well."
- Their communication will be key with all new guys in the guard, center and quarterback spots.
On Tate Martell's height
- "When you have a quarterback like Tate, you have to look at it a little differently." Day said. "They have to find passing lanes and they always have to know where their escape hatch is."
- Compared him to Russell Wilson and Doug Flutie
- "Sometimes your checkdown, when you're that size, is your feet."
On running backs blocking
- "In the first game, there were a couple of those speed sweeps where Mike was out in front blocking."
- They've both been good in pass protection.
- "It's going to be more of a challenge this week, they're going to be coming faster and harder."
On TCU's defense
- "They're built for tempo," Day said. "They handle that very well."
- "We like to play fast."
- "We have to dictate the tempo, we can't let them dictate the tempo."
- "They're built for speed."
- Said a lot of the Big Ten teams are a little bigger and more stout.
On Austin Mack's production
- "Austin is a really good route runner."
- Expects the X receiver to win one-on-ones
- "He and Ben are the guys we expect to win those one-on-ones on the boundary."
On being predictable on third down
- "We're kind of neurotic about that."
- Said they don't want to get to predictable, but sometimes they overthink it.
- "There's a fine line between trying to keep it fresh and keep going to what's working."
What is the game day routine on the road?
- "Not so much rehearse on the road, but we'll talk about it"
- Some of the young guys tend to look at it as a field trip.
- The older guys tell them it's a business trip.
- "Our routine has always been to kind of stay in the hotel."
- "We'll do a walkthrough to engage them, then let them get back to their room."
- "We don't want to shoot our gun too early, with an 8 p.m. kickoff."
- "You have to use that time wisely."
Having been in this stadium, does that familiarity help?
- There is familiarity since they've played and practiced there before.
- "At the end of the day, it's about execution, it's about playing."
- Playing the game is what actually matters.
On the new redshirt rule
- They're continuing to monitor who plays when
- "Those guys want to play, and we're going to need them as time goes on."
- "We have to get our depth ready to go."
On Dwayne Haskins vision
- "When you play quarterback, your eyes always have to be in the right spot."
- "Looking at the right spots to trigger your first, second and third progressions."
- "The more you can rehears all that in your mind, the better you can do in the game."
On Chris Chugunov coming in:
- "He's a college graduate, he's an experienced guy."
- "He's done a great job in the meeting room in such a short time."
- "We know he's played in these games before."
Greg Schiano
On the defensive line's dominance
- "The defensive line is playing very well, and certainly Nick is the leader of the crew."
- "When you can do those kind of things and get them behind the chains, it certainly makes calling the game easier."
On Nick Bosa
- "He's so gifted physically. He can do a lot of things f
- "He spent so much time being a defensive end. He doesn't just play it, he lives it."
- His eating and health habits reflect his commitment to his craft.
On Shaun Wade
- "He's a gifted athlete and he can play a lot of different places."
- It's easy to get him on the field with his versatility.
- "He's a bright young man."
On Jordan Fuller's return
- "It was good to have him back, wasn't it?"
- "Even physically, when things break down, he's a guy that gets the ball carrier on the ground."
- "When you play with one middle safety, he's got a lot of responsibility."
On Tuf Borland's continued rehab
- He'll continue to see more reps.
- "He wasn't perfect, because he is shaking off the rust."
- "Even when he's not right, assignment wise, he still finds a way to get around the football."
On playing many linebackers on Saturday
- It wasn't because of the score
- "We're going to play more than three, even in a tight ballgame, because we feel like we have more than three."
- Schiano specifically mentioned Baron Browning, Dante Booker and Justin Hilliard.
- "All these reps are good for all of them and it keeps them fresh.
On defending TCU's mobile quarterback Shawn Robinson
- "It does change. He's a big, huge part of the run game."
- "He's as good as any running back."
- "Not only do we have to decipher it correctly, then we have to make a tackle on a big guy."
- "We really have to be disciplined."
On the safeties
- Jordan Fuller is the clear leader in the room.
- Isaiah (Pryor) took a big step between week one and week two. It might not have been spectacular plays, but it was consistency."
- "Jahsen (Wint) is going to keep pressing him."
- There's going to be a competition, and it might go a few more weeks.
On Chase Young
- "He's really progressing."
- When you can have him on the other side of nick, it poses some issues for offensive coordinators.
- Said it was tough on Rutgers to figure out how to stop both of them. "You have to pick your poison," Rutgers' offensive coordinator said.
On TCU's offensive line
- "I think it's a really good offensive line."
- "They're really physical, athletic and big. As an offensive line, those are some pretty good things to start with."
- By far the biggest test they've faced.
On TCU's wide receivers
- They're all very explosive guys.
- "It changes when they're fast, fast – like these guys are."
- "If you're one step off..."
