ROSE BOWL BOUND
Ohio State demolishes Tennessee, 42-17, and advances to the Rose Bowl to face top-seeded Oregon.
Ohio State had no new signees on National Signing Day, but Ryan Day held a press conference to put a bow on the 2023 recruiting cycle and address several other topics nonetheless.
The Buckeye head coach touched on Ohio State's incoming freshman class, mentioned several of the Buckeyes' recent transfer portal additions, talked about the forthcoming quarterback competition and much more during an interview session at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Wednesday.
Day fielded questions about who will call plays on offense for the Buckeyes moving forward, named several players who will miss the spring with injury issues and also talked about C.J. Stroud's NFL draft decision.
Eleven Warriors took notes on everything Day said below:
Ryan Day
- On playcalling duties, Day says the Buckeyes "won't decide any of that now," but will allow Brian Hartline to call the offense at times during the spring and see how it goes.
- Day says Tristan Gebbia "has played in a rivalry game out there, Oregon vs. Oregon State," and wants to become a GA and a coach in the future. "If he gets on the field he'll be ready to go."
- On playcalling, Day says he wants to evaluate time management and how to "best remedy" time constraints by the end of the football season. Says he'll make a decision on playcalling "in the next few months."
- On promoting Hartline to offensive coordinator, Day says Hartline was already the best WR coach in the country, but also handled an increased amount of offensive responsibilities well this past season. Day cites his NFL career and knowledge of offense as strong suits.
- Day says Justin Frye "has an opportunity to be the best offensive line coach in America. You saw what he did this season."
- On the quarterback competition this offseason, Day says "I'm excited to see these two guys compete. ... When you look at the cast surrounding them, you couldn't be more excited to be a quarterback right now in college football." Day says Kyle McCord has more experience, but it's gonna be "a heck of a competition."
- Day hopes that one of the quarterbacks emerges as the starter coming out of the spring.
- Day says the Buckeyes "had some really competitive practices" with McCord and Devin Brown when C.J. Stroud was gone for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
- On McCord, Day says "he's grown and I think he's done a good job of it, his attitude's been excellent."
- "We're really situated in a great spot for NIL." Day says the Buckeye players have done "very well," but that maybe not as much when it comes to incoming recruits. "I am confident here in the next couple months that we're gonna have a really good plan in place."
- "There's frustration" with NIL. "We have a vision of where we want to be."
- Day says McCord and Brown will both get "a ton of reps" under center during the offseason. "At the end of the day, it's gonna be the guy our team believes in."
- On the running back situation, Day says "we're gonna need everybody." Day thinks it has a chance to be "very strong."
- Julian Fleming, Emeka Egbuka, Tommy Eichenberg, TreVeyon Henderson, Mitchell Melton, Evan Pryor and Kourt Williams will all be out for the spring.
- Day says Josh Fryar's "got a big challenge ahead of him" when it comes to stepping up at OT and that the Buckeyes will bring in another transfer later on if they have to.
- On C.J. Stroud's decision to declare, Day says he took a long time to figure things out and that "I'm sure the decision wasn't easy." Day says "I was hoping" Stroud would stay.
- Day says the Buckeyes will move Tegra Tshabola to tackle and will keep Matt Jones and Donovan Jackson at guard. Day says the Buckeyes are "working through" Fryar at left tackle.
- Day says the Buckeyes were "hoping Luke (Wypler) would not declare" for the NFL draft. "That one we didn't expect, and we have to be able to adapt." Day says he hopes Wypler gets drafted early on.
- Day says the most successful quarterbacks in football "can all move, they can create." Day says that's a great way to help a young offensive line.
- On the importance of having former players like James Laurinaitis on staff, Day says "it's exciting. ... These are guys that understand what it's like to be a player here. They've been here before and they understand what that means."
- Day says the feedback on Ohio State's 2023 early enrollees has been "very good." Day's hoping the group can be further along after spending a lot of time around the program.
- On the close nature of the Georgia loss: "I know it's motivating to our guys."
- Day "felt like the timing was right" to bring Laurinaitis in as a GA following his one year at Notre Dame.
- On other programs trying to poach players via NIL: "It's illegal to do, so if people are doing it and it's not enforced, that creates hard feelings."
- Day says the Buckeyes can't give up as many big plays as they did on defense this past year under Jim Knowles.
- On the Marvin Harrison Jr. targeting non-call, Day says Harrison was "knocked unconscious" on the hit but was told after the fact that the hit wasn't "forceable enough" for a targeting call.
