The Ryan Day Radio Show was free of five-minute rants on Thursday.
Indeed, there were no calls from a "Tyler in Spartanburg" – or a "John Doe in Circleville," for Ohio purposes – but Ohio State head coach Ryan Day answered questions and responded to comments from Paul Keels, Jim Lachey and the Union Home Mortgage Inbox ahead of Ohio State's Week 10 road matchup with Rutgers.
Here is a recap of Day's appearance on the show, plus some comments from Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford:
Ryan Day
On Wisconsin
- Day said Ohio State returned from Madison, Wisconsin, on Sunday morning, had practice on Sunday afternoon and transitioned to Rutgers preparation on Sunday evening. "Once practice is over (on Sunday), it's on to the next game."
- On Camp Randall Stadium: "Great atmosphere. Great crowd."
On Tyleik Williams, Mike Hall Jr., Ohio State's defensive tackles
- "You have to win at the line of scrimmage."
- Day said Ohio State's defensive tackles have excelled at taking on blocks and shedding blocks to create havoc in an opponent's backfield: "It's about pad level, getting your hands inside."
- Day called the Wisconsin matchup "a battle" for the defensive tackles and the rest of the team.
On Ohio State's depth
- "The depth is important now."
- Day said there are some freshmen – Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss, among others – who have received snaps early in the season that he no longer views as freshmen. Day said Ohio State will "count on" those freshmen to step up as the Buckeyes enter their stretch run.
On TreVeyon Henderson
- "The home-run hitting is the biggest thing with Trey. ... That makes a huge difference in the game for sure."
- "His ability to make guys miss with his quickness. ... That's important to keep us on schedule."
- Day said Henderson is a "mismatch" as a route-runner vs. linebackers.
- Day said Chip Trayanum has done well this season as a starter and backup in the running back room. "You can see his versatility."
- Day also mentioned Xavier Johnson as a Buckeye who shows versatility. "The more versatility you have, the more you can keep (the defense) straight."
On Emeka Egbuka
- "So impressive."
- Day said he wouldn't get into the details of the injury Egbuka suffered in Ohio State's win over Maryland.
- Day said Egbuka "was available" for the Penn State game and Wisconsin game, but Ohio State decided to hold him out because it did not want to risk further injury.
- Day did not confirm that Egbuka would be back on Saturday, but he did say the Buckeyes are "excited to get him back."
On Ohio State's defensive backs
- On how Ohio State has limited explosive plays: "When it's time to be aggressive, they're aggressive. When it's time to keep them in front, they keep them in front."
- Day said Ohio State's cornerbacks must continue to be disruptive as the Buckeyes enter their stretch run.
- Day said he has been impressed with Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock, among others, in the cornerback room.
On Davison Igbinosun
- On Igbinosun being a standout athlete: "He sure is."
- On Igbinosun playing against his brother Desmond, a starting safety at Rutgers, on Saturday: "It's not easy to do. ... For a competitor like IGB, he's gonna be involved in his world there. Certainly, he will be rooting for his brother, but he has a job to do on Saturday."
- On what impresses him most about Igbinosun: "Great work ethic. One of the first guys in and last guys to leave. ... That's how you earn respect."
On Ohio State's defensive stops near the end zone vs. Wisconsin
- "Tyleik (Williams) and Jack Sawyer on a couple of those plays were tremendous."
- "It was a battle of wills there on the 1-yard line. ... They won their battle there."
- On Williams: "I think his best football is ahead of him. ... You're really starting to see the work, the program, the development kick in. I think he's got a really high ceiling."
- On Hero Kanu: "Hero showed up. The more times that happens, the more opportunities he's gonna have."
- On Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson and Mitchell Melton: "The more those guys can get in there and get those reps, the more that room is gonna believe in each other."
On his emotion toward the clock issue in the Wisconsin game
- "My head almost exploded. That was a huge spot right there."
- Day said his job is to fight for every yard, which he did in that moment.
- "They ended up getting it right, so that was good."
On Cam Martinez, Malik Hartford, Kye Stokes and other backup safeties
- "There's no question. We're definitely gonna need them."
- "We gotta get them out there... give them an opportunity to grow, learn, build."
- Day said November will be an important month for Ohio State to build depth.
On Rutgers
- "Defensively, they are playing well statistically."
- "Offensively, they have a good scheme. ... They do a great job in how they attack you."
- Day said Rutgers plays "complementary football."
- "They're playing well. ... Another challenge on the road in the Big Ten."
On Marvin Harrison Jr.
- "It goes to the most outstanding player in football, not the guy with the best stats. But he has great stats."
- "We're back to full strength. That puts a lot of pressure on defense. That's the idea. But certainly Marvin has been the (center of attention)."
- "He's disciplined."
- "He stayed after practice with Kyle to work on some things (on Wednesday)."
- Day said it is really important for younger players to see one of the Buckeyes' best players putting in extra work all the time and pushing to be better.
On Kyle McCord
- "Not every game goes exactly how you want to. ... He's got a voice in the huddle late in games. ... That's a good sign as a quarterback."
- "Each play, each drive is its own individual drive and play." Day said McCord has done a great job of keeping that mindset as Ohio State's quarterback, which has allowed the Buckeyes to succeed even when McCord hasn't been his best at times.
On how Ohio State handles the pressure to succeed
- "When you come to Ohio State, you know you are at the apex of college football."
- "Everything you do matters."
- Day said Ohio State has the "greatest fans in the world," which makes every moment important for the Buckeyes because of how much their success means to the fans.
- "Guys have high expectations. They know what the expectation is."
- "You want to compete at the highest level? Come to Ohio State. You want to win championships? Come to Ohio State."
On how much rest he gets during the season
- "There's zero rest early in the week. ... Later in the week is when you get your rest."
- Day said coaches usually get some rest after Ohio State's family dinners on Thursdays and on "The Best Fridays in Football" as the team goes through walkthroughs for their upcoming game.
Tony Alford
On TreVeyon Henderson's performance against Wisconsin
- "That was something."
- "It was good to have him back."
On the versatility in Ohio State's running back room
- "We have guys that have different skill sets."
- "We don't want the same guys. They all look the same in size but have different skill sets."
On Ohio State's running back depth
- "When you come here, no one is coming here to sit down and not play."
- Alford says Ohio State works hard to keep each of its running backs ready for action week to week.
- "You have to be ready and be prepared. Your number could be called at any time."
On Xavier Johnson
- "Having a guy like him is extremely important."
- Alford called Johnson a "Swiss army knife" for the Buckeyes because of his ability to play multiple positions and make an impact on special teams.
On Dallan Hayden
- "You'd have to talk to him, but I think that's hard. But it goes back to being a team guy."
- "He's been fantastic. His family has been great at understanding what we're trying to do. ... He's been phenomenal as it goes."
- Alford said Hayden has done a lot of things well but has some stuff to work on as the season winds down.
