There might be two bye weeks stenciled into Ohio State’s schedule for 2024, but in Ryan Day’s mind, there is only one.
From the head coach’s perspective, the off-week this week arrives too early in the Buckeyes’ campaign to be viewed that way. Ohio State can worry about rest and relaxation in its second bye week, which arrives in Week 8, but for now the team needs to get better – even if it did just trounce Western Michigan 56-0.
“Next week is an improvement week,” Day said after the game. “We have our bye week after the Oregon game as you look at the schedule. We're going to go to work. We'll be back at it tomorrow. We'll have a Tuesday, a Wednesday, a Thursday. We won't go on Friday or Saturday, but it'll be a normal week. We only feel like we're three weeks into the season, so we feel like we've got a lot to improve on. Trust me, there's a lot on the film that we've got to get better at.”
Much of college football will, of course, be in action in the third week of the season. Ohio State’s next opponent, Marshall, also has a bye this week but only one of its future opponents – Penn State – does not play this Saturday.
“Everybody else in the country is playing this week for the most part, so we have to as well,” Day said on Tuesday. “We’ve got to get each other better. And so each player is going to be given things that they need to improve on from their position coach. We're going to work hard to go out there and practice and work on our fundamentals but also look at things that we may need to project out that we may need on both sides of the ball and all three phases.”
The Buckeyes have four practice days this week, including the Sunday and Tuesday that already passed. Day referred to his team as “hungry” for further growth and eager to maintain the momentum gained from a combined 108-6 margin of victory against their MAC foes in Week 1 and 2.
Name, image and likeness opportunities alongside other extracurriculars are expected to remain on the backburner. The plan is to treat Week 3 as if Ohio State is playing a game at the end of it, even if there ultimately isn’t one.
“The number one thing this week is that we’ve got to stay in rhythm,” Day said. “We’ve got to have a good week of practice and think of it like a game week. So, when it comes to off-the-field stuff, it comes down to time management and these guys understand what the main thing is right now. During the offseason, there's certainly great opportunities, but unless it's something that's really pressing, these guys, they need to take care of their academics first and then football and then the other stuff will come down the road.”
That means a focus on fundamentals for the offense and even the defense, which is coming off its first shutout since 2019 and first time holding an opponent under 100 yards since 2017. There are always tweaks coaches can find on film that outsiders don’t notice.
“I see a lot of things formationally,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “I see things that maybe other people don't. That's really my biggest concern is just staying on top of things that maybe didn't show up in the game, but I saw the possibilities for (problems) down the road and how other people are going to scout us.”
It’s also a matter of figuring out where he can do better as a play-caller.
“Self-scouting and seeing what I called and how I can have more change-ups available when we need them,” Knowles said. “It's just trying to look at every play and seeing what we did, which for the most part has been good. What are the other things that can come off of it? How are other teams going to look at us?”
Day noted that another key element this week will be developing depth further. More than 80 different players saw snaps against Western Michigan, and Ohio State’s second unit has been tested a few times in the first two weeks of the season.
Cody Simon was out against Akron in Week 1, meaning Sonny Styles had to slide over to Mike linebacker while C.J. Hicks started at Will and Arvell Reese worked in. Left guard Donovan Jackson missed each of the Buckeyes’ first two contests, meaning Austin Siereveld had to step up and fill in, and he proved a road-grader in Week 2. Star cornerback Denzel Burke was ejected for targeting in the first quarter against the Broncos, placing Jermaine Mathews Jr. in the game, and he continued to lock up wide receivers.
Ohio State’s veterans know full well that their development can’t stop just because there isn’t a game this Saturday. But their backups have to accept that challenge too.
“When you have a group of veteran guys who understand that we're only two games in and we've got a long way to go, they get that,” Day said. “They embrace it. We'll get the guys who are the ones and twos and the older guys some reps but they know how important it is when Denzel Burke gets taken out of the game that Jermaine's got to step up into the game. That's just one example.”
Thus, the Buckeyes rush forward into their “improvement week.” Because the teams they need to improve for – Oregon, Penn State, Michigan, etc. – lay ahead on their schedule.
