The Ryan Day Radio Show is back.
On Thursday, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, announcer Paul Keels and former Buckeye All-American Jim Lachey participated in the debut episode of The Ryan Day Radio Show for the 2024 college football season.
This week, the trio discussed several Buckeyes ahead of Ohio State's season opener against Akron, including Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith and Cody Simon, among others. When Day's time concluded, Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork joined Keels and Lachey to round out the program.
Here are all the news and notes from The Ryan Day Radio Show:
Ryan Day
On Ohio State's mindset entering the Akron game
- "We want to start fast. We want to start the season off on the right foot. It's been a long time to get to this game. It's been a good preseason."
- "Preseason had to be physical, had to be hard. I think it was."
- "Everybody is fired up to play on Saturday."
On the urgency Ohio State possesses this season
- "After Saturday, we'll have 11 regular-season games. ... We are gonna respect every single opponent we play. It's about the standard we set. ... We want to be the hardest-playing team in the country."
- "There's adversity coming. That's the way football is."
- "You want to start (the season) fast but also finish strong."
On building depth early in the preseason
- Day said Ohio State has made it a point to get backups in the game for as many reps as possible on Saturday.
- "We're gonna try to play as many guys as we can."
- "That's a focus for us in the first half of the season. We want to build depth."
On the importance of building depth
- "The depth. The depth. The depth. We got to work it. Guys have got to step up in a big way."
- "It starts on special teams. ... You have to cut your teeth there."
- "You never know when your number is gonna get called. We got to put guys in those situations so when they're called, they're ready to go."
On Zen Michalski and George Fitzpatrick
- "We need both of those guys to continue to get better."
- "I think they both had good preseasons."
On Ohio State's wide receiver depth
- "Yeah, I think there's depth at receiver. I think Brian (Hartline) has done a nice job at four, five, six and trying to build there."
- "We need all those guys to make an impact on the game."
- Day said Jayden Ballard, Kojo Antwi, Mylan Graham and David Adolph must continue to improve as the season progresses.
On Jeremiah Smith
- "The thing that strikes me is the maturity."
- "He's a very serious person. When it's time to compete, he competes. When it's time to get into a meeting, he does that."
- "What we've seen in practice is a mature young man who brings a high upside."
On Will Howard
- "Will has command. You feel it when you are on the field."
- "Having the huddle now is great. ... It's given the quarterback the chance to command the offense, and I think Will has done that."
- Day said he looks forward to the positives that can come from Ohio State huddling after plays. He said the Buckeyes will still look to change the tempo in different ways.
On TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins
- "Both bring different things to the table, but both are very, very talented. ... They know they need each other."
- Day said Ohio State has seen James Peoples step up in preseason camp. "We're gonna need him as well. We know that."
- Day complimented running backs coach Carlos Locklyn for building relationships with each of his running backs. Day said Locklyn brings energy to the Ohio State offense in practice.
- On how Ohio State plans to split carries between Henderson and Judkins: "There will be plenty of carries to go around. ... They want to win."
- Day called Henderson and Judkins' talent, combined with Will Howard's ability to run the football, "a game changer" for the Ohio State offense.
On Ohio State's defensive line
- "You got to win the line of scrimmage."
- "We feel like we've built some depth, in particular at defensive end."
- "Great opportunity to get started here, but the defensive line has looked strong all offseason. They're the tone setters."
- "It all starts at the line of scrimmage."
On Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton
- "Both guys have had great offseasons."
- "Ty Hamilton put another strong offseason together. I'm excited to see him get on the field."
- Day said Williams did "a great job with his hands" last season as he created havoc on the defensive line.
- "Tyleik and Ty are leading the way inside."
On Ohio State's defensive line and defensive backs working together
- "Everybody works together. For the defense, Jim Knowles talks a lot about the coverage and the rush working together."
- Day said "I think you're seeing both" the defensive line help the defensive backs and vice versa in preseason camp. "It works together hand in hand."
On Ohio State developing a routine in the preseason
- "I think everybody likes a routine. Certainly, football players and coaches like a routine. We have to find a routine."
- Day said Ohio State attempts to build a routine once classes start. The Buckeyes have practice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a walkthrough on Friday and then a simulated scrimmage on Saturday. Day said Ohio State does this so they can enter Week 1 of the season feeling likit'sts Week 2.
On Cody Simon
- "He is a leader."
- "The feedback we got back about Cody in those tough workouts, those hard days, he was strong. He was a leader."
- Day said he made a rule that coaches could no longer ask Simon questions in meetings because he always gave them the correct answers. Day said he wanted coaches to challenge other players to make sure they were paying attention and had "done their homework."
On Ohio State's pregame routine
- Day said Ohio State will not stay at the Blackwell Hotel before home games this season. "We're gonna be staying downtown." Because of that, Day said the Buckeyes will be dropped off in front of St. John Arena before the Skull Session.
- Day said Ohio State will no longer wear suits to games. Day said he and the team's leaders wanted each Buckeye to look the same entering the stadium, so each Buckeye will wear team-issued sweatsuits while walking through the Skull Session and to Ohio Stadium.
On the legacy Ohio State's players want to leave behind
- "These guys love being Ohio State Buckeyes."
- "They want to win in the worst way."
- "They want to make an impact."
- Day said his team feels the legacy Archie Griffin has created himself in Columbus and wants to honor that legacy by creating one of their own as members of the Buckeyes.
On Ohio State scoring a kick return touchdown in 2024
- "I'm gonna guarantee one this year. I'll put that out there. How 'bout that?" Day said with a laugh.
Ross Bjork
On Ryan Day
- "Let's give him credit for the job he's done."
- "The plan he has put together. The roster we have built. The mindset we have created. ... We got to take it one step at a time. The fun part is playing the games. Let's let the air out on this conversation... and let (the players) play."
- Bjork said "one of the joys" about being Ohio State's athletic director "is getting to know Coach Day."
- "I can't wait to see it all come together starting on Saturday."
On Archie Griffin being honored on Saturday
- "What a weekend."
- Bjork said "you don't walk away from a conversation with Archie Griffin" and think "he was a good football player." Instead, "you walk away from a conversation with Archie Griffin" and think "he was a good man."
- "The way he carries himself, the way he represents himself... that's what we're here to celebrate this weekend."
On the changing landscape in college sports
- "It is the most transformative time in college athletics."
- "We want to keep 36 sports... but how we spend our money is gonna look different."
