Ohio State’s “Improvement Week” is almost over.
Before the Buckeyes head out to practice on Thursday, Ryan Day appeared on The Ryan Day Radio Show with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey to discuss where his team evolved this week and where it can continue to improve.
Following Day's appearance, Will Howard answered questions from Keels and Lachey.
Here's all the news and notes from the third Ryan Day Radio Show of the 2024 season:
Ryan Day
On Ohio State's "Improvement Week"
- "I think it's been the good."
- "The past couple of practices have been physical."
- "We're getting a lot of guys reps."
- "Every day we were out there, we gotta maximize it."
On Ohio State's win over Western Michigan, having a bye week
- "I feel like we had a good rhythm going. We want to keep that rhythm going."
- "This is not (a bye week) where guys are going home, flying across the country. That's not what this is. ... Everybody in the country is getting better because they're playing a game on Saturday."
- Day said Ohio State's assistant coaches have given their players a number of things to improve on this week. He and his staff will hold their players accountable for improving in those areas even after the Improvement Week ends.
On Ohio State's "Champion" grades, the "Champions Dinner"
- "It's great."
- Day said Ohio State awards the Champion title to players who grade out over 80% in the game. "We've said, 'It's about our standard. It's not about the opponent.'"
- "If we win the situations, we're gonna win the game."
- "When you grade out a Champion, that's a heck of a deal."
- "Coach Mick (Marotti) would say that's his favorite tradition, the Champions Dinner."
On the performance of Ohio State's depth
- "We were out there competing. Everybody."
- "That's what you want."
- "We got to treat it that way. If we're gonna count on these guys late in the season... we got to get out there and compete... I like the intensity out there on Saturday."
- Day praised Jermaine Mathews Jr. for being ready when Denzel Burke was elected for targeting in the first quarter. "Who would have thought Denzel would be out in the first quarter? But there you go. There you go, Jermaine. ... You send Jermaine in, and nobody even flinched."
On Ohio State's fast start against Western Michigan
- "We wanted to be clean in the game. Part of being clean is starting fast."
- "Starting fast, you feel good coming out of the gates that way."
- "You wanted to do that. It was good to see. It was good to see."
On how Ohio State's offense is different from last year
- "As we move forward, you're gonna see more and more different things."
- "A couple of really fresh ideas, different approaches on things."
- "We got to identify exactly what we are, get really, really good at it and then go from there."
- Day said Chip Kelly does a great job putting defensive coordinators and defenses in conflict with option schemes.
On Will Howard
- "Confidence is important for all of us."
- "It was good to see him get going early on and build confidence."
- "It was good to see Will get a fast start there. I think he was 10-for-10 (passing). That builds confidence for (him and) for everybody."
On Ohio State's coaches recruiting this week
- "We had some guys out Monday. We'll have a good group out tomorrow."
- Day said Ohio State will wrap up with practice tonight, and then a number of assistant coaches will hit the road to see recruits and commits.
- "It's a good time to get out there, get around the guys, get around the commits."
On Ty Hamilton
- "This is a great example of someone who's from Ohio and has put great work into the program. ... He's put blood, sweat and tears in."
- Day said Hamilton saw the path his older brother, DaVon Hamilton, took from Ohio State to the NFL and has followed a similar path.
- "He's been consistent. He's been durable. He's been someone we can count on."
- "He's worked hard every day. ... Great team player."
- "To see him playing like this is excellent."
On Ohio State's run defense
- "It starts with practice every day and guys running to the football."
- "Getting our pads down, getting our hands on people, getting off blocks."
- "Bigger challenges ahead."
On Jeremiah Smith
- "It's easy to recognize the physical traits — the size, the speed, the explosiveness, the strength, but for me as a coach, when someone is that talented... he came in with a certain level of discipline."
- Day said it's "hard to find" someone with as much talent and discipline as Smith.
- "He still has a long way to go, don't get me wrong, but for a young player, he's been impressive."
- Day said teams "are gonna have to know where he is," which will open up the rest of Ohio State's offense. "He's certainly going to garner a lot of attention."
On Mylan Graham
- "For somebody who came in during the summer, I have been very impressed with Mylan Graham. ... He's shown really good signs."
- Day believes Graham can "make a push" for playing time after impressing the coaching staff in the preseason and three weeks of in-season practice.
- "We'll try to get him involved on special teams. Whether it's returning or not, we'll see."
- "He's got to continue to put on weight. He's got to get stronger."
On Ohio State's kick return game
- "We need to be aggressive and catch everything."
- "Anything that's kicked in the field of play... we want to take them out."
On Donovan Jackson
- "He was available. He could have played in the game. ... We didn't feel like putting him a pitch count was the right thing either."
- "Excited to get him back next week."
- Day said he was proud of how Austin Siereveld performed in place of Jackson. "I felt like he played even better in this game than the first game."
Will Howard
On the Improvement Week
- "It's definitely the earliest bye week I've had in my college career. It's a little weird, but hey, it's good."
- "We're trying to continue on this trajectory we have."
- Howard said Ohio State can't "slip up" this week because there are college football teams across the country who have games and will improve this week.
On how he's adjusted to being at Ohio State
- As a Downingtown, Pennsylvania, native, Howard said his family has been able to drive to the first two Ohio State games. When he was at Kansas State, Howard said his family had to make plans for a complete trip to see him play.
- "We love it here. It could not have been a smoother transition for me. It could not be a better place."
- "I've been blown away with the quality of the people in this program."
On Ohio State's locker room culture
- Howard said "the best players are the best people" on Ohio State's roster. He mentioned phone calls he had with Emeka Egbuka and TreVeyon Henderson before he committed to the Buckeyes where he was awestruck with how caring and kind those players were.
- "It's been awesome. These guys truly are just solid dudes."
- "The people here are pretty extraordinary."
On the chemistry he's building with Ohio State's wide receiver room
- "It's been great."
- "It's a blessing."
- "I have a wealth of riches out there."
