Ohio State's conference slate starts Sunday.
Before the Buckeyes travel to "That State Up North" to face the Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day appeared on The Ryan Day Radio Show with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey to discuss the Big Ten opener, Emeka Egbuka, Lathan Ransom and more. After Day's time concluded, offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin made a handful of comments to end the broadcast.
Here is all the need-to-know information from the latest episode of The Ryan Day Radio Show:
Ryan Day
On the Big Ten opener at Michigan State
- "It's a conference game. It's on the road against a team that went on the road and beat Maryland at Maryland."
- "They certainly have our attention."
- "Their quarterback is very dangerous," Day said of Aidan Chiles.
- "Everything is ramped up."
On the roster size for road games
- Day said Ohio State can bring 74 players to its road games. "You have everyone available for a home game. You can only travel 74 to an away game."
- Day said Ohio State brings 74 players to the hotel for home games. All other players will stay at their respective residences and meet the team on Saturday.
- Day said some players also are with the team at the golf course on Fridays for a team meal, though that is usually reserved for scout team players of the week and other standouts.
On the work Ohio State has put in during practice this week
- "Everyone has a job to do."
- "We're constantly trying to build that trust."
- Day said it's "the ultimate" development for a team when players have confidence and trust in each other based on what each player has done to prepare for the game on Saturdays.
On Ohio State's offensive gameplan
- "It's been good to have a little bit of a think tank."
- Day said he wants Ohio State's offensive gameplan to include "curveballs." However, if the "fastball" is working, Day said he and Chip Kelly cannot overlook that.
- "The creativity has been good. You've seen some explosive plays."
On Ohio State's run game
- "There's this back and forth with the confidence in the offensive line and the running backs running hard."
- "A big part of that is the running back, a big part of that is the offensive line, the tight ends, the receivers... and then, obviously, the quarterback being a threat helps as well."
- Day said Carlos Locklyn doesn't call a stiff arm a stiff arm; he calls it an off-hand punch. "He wants to be physical with that."
On Emeka Egbuka
- "Emeka, when he first got here, you recognized that he has a different mentality."
- Day said Egbuka "wants to be great."
- "Now you're starting to see him back at his best again."
- "Captain, leader, and a great player."
On Ohio State's wide receivers developing as blockers
- "That's being a great player."
- "That goes a long way."
- "As the season goes on, we're gonna need that."
On the leadership of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins
- "These guys want to win."
- "Stats are great. We have great stats. But it's ultimately about winning. ... The stats will come."
- "If you want to play great football, your running backs have to be three-down backs. ... We run very much an NFL-style offense. We ask that of our guys."
On what he looks for in a quarterback
- "You want a winner."
- "You want somebody who is very, very competitive."
- "Somebody who can lead people and is a good decision-maker."
- "Have a great work ethic."
- "The last one is resilient."
On Ohio State's kickoff woes on Saturday
- "You can't do what happened on Saturday, three drives starting on the 35-yard line."
- "Working to get it fixed. Obviously, it's unacceptable."
- "We don't want to put the defense in that spot."
- Day said Jayden Fielding will handle field goals and point-after attempts but it's possible that Snyder could handle the kickoffs against Michigan State. Day said the coaches will decide whether Fielding or Snyder will handle kickoffs later this week."
On Austin Snyder and Air Noland losing their black stripes
- "Both have really worked. They earned to get that black stripe off."
- Day said Snyder "made the play when his number was called" in Ohio State's win over Marshall, which helped him shed his black stripe.
- "Air, since he's been here, has grown, and he's really making progress every day."
- "Proud of both of those guys."
On the hostile environment at Spartan Stadium
- "It will be loud on Saturday night. We have to do a good job of communicating."
- Day said Ohio State has used both helmet communication and hand signals to relay playcalls from the coaches to Will Howard, a process Day said "has been effective for us."
- Day said Thursday's practice will be an important practice for Ohio State to continue working through communication.
- "We have to do a great job of making sure everybody is on the same page."
On Lathan Ransom
- "He's been through a lot since he first got here."
- "He's a leader but he's felt every day in practice."
- "You can feel him. You can hear him."
- "How do you lead? You got to be heard. You've got to be felt. Lathan has done that. ... He's become one of the best safeties in college football, in my opinion."
On Davison Igbinosun's energy and intensity
- "Davison brings that every day."
- "He's very, very competitive."
- "He plays that way. He plays with great energy."
- "It jumps off the screen when you're watching him play."
On what he likes about playing on the road
- "When you're on the road, you're in a hostile environment. The idea of going on the road and playing the villain is exciting for our guys."
- Day said he loves to see how many Ohio State fans travel to road games.
- "Looking forward to the challenge (on Saturday)."
Seth McLaughlin
On his preparation during game weeks
- McLaughlin said he watches a few hours of film a day on Ohio State's next opponent.
- McLaughlin said he spends a lot of time preparing for Ohio State's opponents so that when the game arrives he can be ready for anything.
On Donovan Jackson, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins
- On Jackson: "It's fun to play with him."
- On Henderson and Judkins: "They're electric."
- McLaughlin said he, Jackson and the rest of the offensive line love to block for Henderson and Judkins because "if we do our jobs" then any play could go for a touchdown.
On Ohio State's defensive line, going against them in practice
- McLaughlin called Ty Hamilton "insanely strong." He added: "He's one of the best defensive tackles in America that I'm going up against."
- McLaughlin said Ohio State's other defensive tackles, such as Tyleik Williams, tire him out during practice because of how hard each of them fires off the ball at the line of scrimmage.
