After what was probably the biggest win of the season so far, Ohio State has an off week to recover and prepare for the second-half of its Big Ten slate.
The Buckeyes may not play this week, but Ryan Day still made his regular weekly radio appearance on 97.1 The Fan to recap the Wisconsin game and discuss how Ohio State will make use of its second bye week of the season.
Here's what Day had to say:
On the weather
- "It made it hard."
- "We saw the forecast coming a mile away."
- "The guys handled the conditions well."
- Day said they ran the ball a little more early, not wanting to risk a mistake or a turnover.
- "Nobody likes to run the ball on third down worse than me – I can't stand it. But sometimes you gotta swallow your pride."
On the performance
- Day praised how Ohio State's top players played in the biggest game of the season.
- "I think in big time games, your big time players have to show up."
- "Some of our big time players played good in that game."
On Urban Meyer's return
- "It wasn't strange, it was fun."
- "It was a lot of fun. Certainly nothing but the utmost respect for him and what he's done for me and my family. It was great."
On J.K. Dobbins' performance
- "I thought he ran hard."
- "Going up against (Jonathan) Taylor was good. I think it was a competition for him, even though he's not necessarily playing against him."
- "I consider him to be the best running back in the country."
On playing Wisconsin's defense
- Day notes they were statistically the best defense in the country
- "We knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we kept swinging away."
On choosing not to redshirt the players who've played five games now
- "It gives them confidence, going into the future."
- "Also, it's creating depth for us."
- "The more those guys can play, the better off our team is."
On Chase Young at linebacker
- "The key in moments like that is that Chase demands a lot of respect and a lot of attention."
- Day notes it was pretty simple for them, but changes up the look.
- "I thought the plan was well executed."
On players cheering on the sideline for each other
- "There's that chemistry for each other."
- "Everybody is involved in this thing. It's a team effort."
- "You go through life, you don't have many opportunities for something special like this."
On Blake Haubeil's kick
- Day said this kick more impressive than even his 55-yarder the week before.
- "It was a harder kick, because of the elements, and it was a bigger kick."
- Day notes it was an important kick because it broke scoring in what looked like it would be a low-scoring game, giving the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead.
On Justin Hilliard
- "It was great to see him in there."
- "I thought the defense put in a great personnel package," noting the four linebacker package.
- "He made some great plays."
- "It was the right matchup for us," Day said.
- Day said Hilliard has earned his respect off the field and with how he
On bye-week practices
- Day said they're going full helmets and pads for all their practices this week.
- Day wanted to keep the same energy.
- "More focus on the fundamentals, getting locked into that."
On recruiting trips
- Day said he doesn't want to just make an appearance at a school, he wants it to be worthwhile.
- "I want to spend quality time in the school."
- If you're only hitting 6 or 7 as opposed to 10, but it's quality time, Day said he likes that.
On if this is the best these secondary players have played
- "Damon, for sure." Day praised how tough he's playing this season.
- "They're taking their technique very seriously."
- Day notes that a big part of Ohio State's defensive line dominance is the play in the secondary.
On Ohio State's third-down success
- "When we stay on schedule and keep it manageable."
- Day said the third-and-long have been well executed, praising Justin Fields' ability to make a play.
- Day gave credit to Fields for converting two third-and-10s on Saturday because of his play-making ability.
What kind of candy will be passed out at the Day house?
- Day said he doesn't know, but he'll be raiding his girl's baskets for Reese's cups.
