Ryan Day Radio Show: Ryan Day Calls Purdue a "Talented" Team That "Keeps Getting Better" Each Week, Says Ohio State Needs a Fast Start in West Lafayette

By Chase Brown on October 12, 2023 at 1:11 pm
Ryan Day
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After Ohio State's 5-0 start to the 2023 season, Ryan Day took to the airwaves to recap the Buckeyes' win over Maryland and preview their matchup with Purdue on Saturday.

Day sees Purdue as a talented team that "keeps getting better" each week. He also Purdue quarterback Hudson Card as a player who will challenge the Buckeyes' defense and believes freshman safety Dillon Thieneman is a player the Ohio State offense needs to keep an eye on. Day also addressed Ohio State's run game, the offensive line and the Buckeyes' defensive aggressiveness ahead of its Week 7 game in West Lafayette, Indiana.

After Day's appearance, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith talked with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey about name, image and likeness, the future of the Big Ten and more.

Ohio State started fall break on Thursday, so Day and the Buckeyes began to practice earlier than usual. Because of that, Day did not hold a Zoom press conference with the media after the radio show.

Here is a bullet-point recap of Day and Smith's comments on The Ryan Day Radio Show:

Ryan Day

On Purdue quarterback Hudson Card

  • "He's thrown for a bunch of yards."
  • Day said Ohio State recruited Card out of Lake Travis High School. The Buckeyes saw him play a lot because he was teammates with former Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson. "He can make a lot of throws."
  • "I see him getting better. He has good weapons around him. He's a good athlete."

On Purdue's defense

  • "Very unique." Day said Purdue head coach Ryan Walters has carried over his defensive scheme from Missouri to Illinois and now Purdue. "We haven't quite played a team like this in the past."
  • "They are getting better every week."
  • "Their team keeps getting better."

On Ohio State's run game

  • "We are still gonna look to run the football. That's not gonna change."
  • Day said Ohio State needs to establish the run even more this week, seeing as the Buckeyes will be playing in a Big Ten matchup on the road in West Lafayette.
  • Day on TreVeyon Henderson's health: "Much better than last week, for sure."

On Lathan Ransom, Josh Proctor, Ohio State's defensive backs

  • "Both Lathan and Josh are gonna be critical if we are gonna get to where we wanna get to."
  • Day said Ransom and Proctor's performances were "contagious" on Saturday. He said their performances have been that way for most of the season.
  • Day on Sonny Styles: "He is a very good athlete. ... He was able to come in here with a year of experience under his belt this season. We felt that with his skill set, we could do a lot of things with him." Day said Styles has excelled as a run-stopper and in coverage. "He is versatile."
  • Day said he has loved to see Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun's "competitiveness" and their disruption in the passing game by breaking up passes.

On what Ohio State looks for in a self-scout

  • "You look for everything."
  • "Good teams have tendencies. ... You want to see the things you are doing well."
  • "You look at formations, what's efficient, alignments. ... You are trying to identify what other teams look for."

On Ohio State's pass rush, the defense's aggressiveness

  • Day said Ohio State's defensive line looked great on Saturday vs. Maryland. Still, he understands there is room to improve, especially in the pass rush. "I know they are looking for more consistency in that area."
  • Day said Ohio State's defense has worked on a balance between being aggressive while not exposing itself to explosive plays. "There's that balance that we are working towards."

On Purdue Safety Dillon Thieneman

  • "He's very active. They have him in the middle of the field, but he moves around a lot."
  • "The (Purdue) defense is more unique than what we've seen."
  • "There is some good talent on that defense."

On Purdue's offense

  • "They have talent."
  • "They are gonna try to run the football, take shots down the field. They have really good coaches. They have a good scheme."
  • "When you go on the road in the Big Ten in October, you have to play really well."

On coaches and players getting rest in the season

  • "We have a good routine. I feel like we push our guys hard."
  • "We make sure we turn over all the stones and that the guys have all they need. ... But we want guys who are fresh, who are thinking correctly."
  • "You have to get your rest, especially as the season goes on."

On Avery Henry's return to Ohio Stadium

  • Day said Kamryn Babb, Harry Miller and Avery Henry are examples of players who overcame "curveballs" in their Ohio State career and found ways to make as much impact off the field as they made on it.
  • "Avery wants to continue to stay involved. ... He's healthy right now. Thank God we have some of the best in the world (at Ohio State) fighting cancer."

On Ohio State's mentality heading into a road game

  • "You're not allowed to have a bad day around here."
  • Day said he tells recruits they will have a target on their chests when they commit to Ohio State because the Buckeyes always get everyone's best shot.
  • "You have a bull's-eye on your chest."

Gene Smith

On Ohio State's matchup with Purdue in 2018

  • Smith did not attend Ohio State's matchup with Purdue in 2018 because there were dangerous weather conditions in Columbus when his plane was scheduled to take off.
  • "I'm fearless," Smith said, explaining that he wanted the pilot to push through the conditions and take him to West Lafayette. However, when he looked around at the other passengers on the plane and saw their fear, he decided to have the pilot land the aircraft back in Columbus.

On Ohio State's academic success

  • Smith said he takes "great pride" in the academic success of Ohio State's student-athletes during his tenure as the Buckeyes' athletic director.
  • Smith said he had to talk with former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones about his infamous "we ain't come here to play SCHOOL" tweet that went viral on Twitter. Smith said he was "proud" that Jones eventually graduated.

On the future Big Ten basketball schedules after expansion

  • "It will be a lot more challenging. ... We will do our best to avoid midweek contests and minimize those as much as possible. However, there will be some."
  • "It will be a real, real travel challenge for them."
  • Smith said Ohio State and the Big Ten have "to be smart about" mental health and other areas of student-athlete safety as the Buckeyes travel across the country for games.
  • Smith said Ohio State had to budget an additional $3 million for its athletic programs to travel in the new Big Ten landscape.

On name, image and likeness

  • "The landscape will change. We have to embrace it."
  • Smith doesn't feel confident that the federal government will pass current NIL legislation. He said there needs to be a better approach to handling NIL in the future.
  • Smith said there are several conversations happening around the country about what is the best way to handle NIL as the landscape continues to evolve.
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