The home stretch of the regular season starts now.
After the Buckeyes' bye week, they have just six games remaining before the postseason, and the remainder of Ohio State's schedule begins on Saturday with a noon matchup against Iowa.
At his first press conference of the week at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Ryan Day discussed Ohio State's preparation for the Hawkeyes and talked about the Buckeyes' goals for the rest of the year.
Following Day, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson took the podium to give updates about the team it returns to action this weekend. For bullet points on everything both Buckeye coaches said Tuesday, check out our notes below.
Ryan Day
- Day says the Buckeyes "got a lot of guys rest" over the bye week, but isn't going to issue any specific injury updates at this point.
- On Iowa's defense: "They're very good at what they do." Day says "there's a reason they're ranked so high, and year in and year out they're one of the best defenses in the country."
- "There's been really good things, but that was the first half of the season. ... Nothing we've done in the past matters anymore." Day says all the biggest challenges are still ahead of the Buckeyes.
- Day says C.J. Stroud's "body changed" over the offseason and it's allowed him to do more outside of the pocket this year.
- On the cornerbacks: "They've been working hard. They understand where they need to get better. We'll find out Saturday."
- Day says the emphasis this week will be on Iowa, but the team will still be hammering fundamentals and techniques "because that's what Iowa's good at."
- On Iowa's struggling offense: "They're not looking or interested in scoring a million points or putting up a ton of yards." But Day says the Hawkeye recipe on offense has been successful in the past.
- Would JSN still be a starter if he was back healthy for the Buckeyes? "Yeah, I would say so."
- Day says he "didn't have a lot of expectations" for Steele Chambers coming over from linebacker, but now "we're counting on him to be a starter for us." Day says "we're gonna need those guys if we're gonna reach our goals."
- "The punt can be a huge weapon for you." Day says field position battle-type games are coming for the Buckeyes.
- Day says "there's a whole bunch" of things the Buckeye offense can improve on after the first six games. "We've got to bring it every single week."
- Day says Ohio State can't focus on the number of touches for guys like JSN when they return to the lineup for Ohio State. Day says the Buckeyes will have to "guard from" trying to target a guy on offense just to get him going.
- On the caliber of Iowa's defense: "We've been there before, we've seen it live and in color against these guys."
- Day says Paris Johnson Jr. has "done a lot" both on the field and "in life." References Johnson's foundation. Day says "in three short years, he's made a major impact on this team."
- On who Day decides to visit for Friday night games recruiting-wise, Day says he relies on his assistants and input from Mark Pantoni.
- Day says there's been great energy and juice surrounding the team since returning to the WHAC after the bye week.
- Day says he had "the TV's going" to watch as many games as possible on Saturday while he had a bye week.
- Day says Jim Knowles "had an affinity for Columbus" and "has a lot of friends here." Day says "the goal was to keep him here as long as we could."
- Day says Knowles "seems to really enjoy it at Ohio State."
- Day says he's "proud of (Luke Lachey) and the way he'd played" for Iowa. Day says he knows Luke and the Lachey family.
- Day says every week there's a back-and-forth with the Big Ten every week about specific penalty calls, and that some "hit a little closer to home" than others.
- On the Iowa defense: "They don't do a ton, but when they do change it up, it's very, very effective."
- On the 2017 upset loss to Iowa: "It's a scar, that doesn't go away. I've felt it this week, for sure."
Jim Knowles
- Knowles says J.T. has on the outside what Mike Hall has on the inside of the Buckeye defensive line, even if the sack productivity hasn't been there.
- On the Iowa offense using tight ends a lot: "It's a concern. This is the best tight end, two of them, since Notre Dame. ... You give those guys too much space, they'll kind of body you up."
- On what the Iowa offense does well: "The blocking schemes, I mean, well-coached. ... It's different. We've seen a little bit of it this year, but it's different than the way we train." Knowles says "I think it is a matter of understanding how these types of offenses operate.
- Knowles says "defense is an attitude, a mentality." Knowles says the Buckeye offense sometimes makes it difficult for the Buckeye defense to maintain its mentality even when the score isn't close, but that he tries to never let the score impact him.
- Knowles says growing up in eastern Pennsylvania he always thought that "high school football in Ohio was superior."
- "Positive results help, because they see themselves making plays. ... But it's habits. It's just habits and training and everything Coach Mick does in the weight room and our culture and everything Coach Day preaches."
- On Tuimoloau: "Coach Johnson does a great job with those guys on being one unit, one group. All of us together are stronger than any of us apart, and it doesn't matter who gets the credit." Knowles says football is "the greatest team game there ever was," and that "they don't care who gets the glory."
- Knowles says he's "pretty hard" on the Buckeye defense when it goes against Ohio State's offense because "that is the best offense in the country."
- On cornerback play during the bye week: "You do learn from even the plays you don't make. You can coach off of it. I thought we had a good week, we challenged."
- On Tennessee: "I saw them, and my daughter went to Tennessee, so I sent a lot of money to Tennessee." Knowles says "that is a lot of what I went against in the Big 12." Knowles says he systematically built his defense for that type of offense.
- Knowles "really liked" how Jordan Hancock performed before his injury. Knowles says having him back in the mix will be a big deal for the Ohio State secondary.
Kevin Wilson
- On the 2017 Iowa game: "They played tremendous that day and got after us in a good way."
- "When you play for the brotherhood and not for yourself, you'll get your plays." Wilson says when guys get selfish, things usually "implode" for them.
- On what stands out about Iowa's defense: "They're playing vision defense, vision break. The underlying thing, they don't flash, but they have better quality players than they get credit for." Wilson says "you're in the back half of the Big Ten, so it's not easy. You play this time of year with elements."
- "We're in the stretch when you find out what kind of football team you got."
- Wilson says Dawand Jones is "not close to what he can be, and he's doing well." Wilson says "I think he's got a high ceiling and I want to see him finish well for us."
- Wilson says the Buckeyes have done a great job of not turning the ball over in the end zone and running the ball well down there.
- Wilson says Luke Wypler is "one of our best workers," despite not being "very large" on the Ohio State offensive line. "He's off to a good start to his career, for sure."
- Wilson says Iowa's defense is not a "bend-but-don't-break" style defense. "It all starts up front. ... I just think it's a credit again to the scheme, and they got really good players."
- On if Iowa's defense is the toughest they've faced so far: "The tape shows that they're really, really good. When you're a strong offense, when you play a really good defense, it shows what you really are."
- Wilson says the Ohio State coaches have to "check their ego" when they throw out ideas in the meeting room. "It's not a once-horse parade."
- On Smith-Njigba: "I miss him because he's just having fun playing ball because he has a natural energy for him. ... Just the energy he brings as a practice player." Wilson says "without forcing it, when it's meant to be, he just brings a lot of positivity and good karma to our team."
