Weaker opponents in November bring about off-field talking points surrounding Ohio State football.
Two that have emerged in between the Buckeyes' 45-0 shelling of Purdue and its upcoming matchup with Northwestern at Wrigley Field are the six straight noon games Ohio State will close its regular season with and slips occurring on the turf at Ohio Stadium. At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Day fielded questions about both.
While Day isn't concerned with the noon kickoffs, saying the Buckeyes will play whenever they're told to, the coach said the turf is something the team continues evaluating on a weekly basis. He was also complimentary of Ohio State's running backs and offensive linemen Carson Hinzman and Donovan Jackson as the season progresses.
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterback Will Howard also met with the media to discuss the Buckeyes' progression on that side of the football and the play of the offensive line.
Ryan Day
- On playing at Wrigley Field: "The surrounding area and the restaurants that are in the area, it's just got a great vibe there. ... It's a very unique place with a great history and it's an exciting opportunity for us. ... We practiced on the grass this week to simulate the field there."
- On TreVeyon Henderson: "I think he's running very well, I think he's running with power. ... He can do damage on the edge, he can do damage up the middle, he's done a good job in pass protection. .. I think both those (running backs) have been very unselfish this year and are playing very well."
- While Ohio State did a good job of beating Purdue by the margin it did on Saturday, Day doesn't want his team resting on any laurels. "What we've done leading up to this point has nothing to do with what we do going forward. ... We've gotta keep building, we've gotta stay consistent."
- On fan backlash for six straight noon games to close the season: "I gotta deal with a lot of fan backlash for things other than times of games, so I'll let other people deal with that. ... Whenever they tell us to play, we'll play."
- Day said the only recruiting impact of noon games is that it's harder for out-of-state prospects to get to the game.
- On Gee Scott Jr.: "He's had loss in his life, he's had success. ... He's having an impact on the field, he's having an impact off the field and I'm proud of who he's become as a young man."
- On Carson Hinzman against Purdue: "He was solid. I feel like he's taken the next step at guard, playing against a, what we call a bear front. ... I felt like he took the next step in the progression of playing guard. ... He came out of it healthy because he did have that scary moment."
- Day said Maurice Clarett gives Ohio State "an edge" working with the program behind the scenes. "I have a lot of respect for Maurice and where he's come in his life. This is somebody to me that has helped out other programs. ... I like his mindset. He brings a toughness, a seriousness, a credibility."
- On whether the team has evaluated the turf in Ohio Stadium: "After each game we'll look to see if there was any (slips) going on ... make sure the tests are coming back the way they should. They've taken things out, put things in to make sure it's right for our guys."
- On Eddrick Houston's first start: "I thought there was good there. ... A lot of flashes there for somebody who's not played inside a whole bunch. ... Didn't quite grade out (a champion), but there's a bright future there at 3-tech."
- Footwork is the key to deep-ball accuracy for Will Howard, Day said. "I think that it comes down to footwork. ... When his feet are right, he throws a really good ball down the field."
- On his confidence in the backup quarterback situation: "(Sayin) and Devin are both working hard every day. ... We'll keep evaluating it every week."
- On incorporating two running back sets and getting Henderson involved in the running game: "I think that's what we're talking about. TreVeyon's really worked hard on his receiving skills. ... When you have guys that are playing well without the football in their hands ... it gives you a lot of versatility there."
- On the team's new tradition of laying bricks after practice.: "All those days matter. We had to continue to work on that. How do you know how your foundation is? You go through a storm. ... All those bricks that we put in the foundation are what's going to matter. ... But you also have to take pride in it, make sure it's real tight in there."
- On the Jack package: "We looked at it and we're going to continue to look at it. We think it gives us a little bit more spacing up front. ... We'll see how it fits moving forward. There were some things that we did that were good but some other things we've got to execute better, but that was the first time we put it out there."
- Day said the offensive plays have gone down in part because the team is huddling more. "We're definitely down on number of plays, which isn't always easy for the guys who want touches. ... We feel like huddling allows us not to worry about the signals or anything like that. ... There's other times you've seen us go a little bit faster, when we can go in a no-huddle situation."
- On the team's focus: "It's something we always talk about. ... It was important for us to play well in this game, play well in the first half and then continue to play well. ... You've gotta bring it every week and that's what championship football is all about."
- On Northwestern: "We've always had good games against Northwestern. ... They're very sound in what they do, their scheme is very sound. ... They're gonna make you win the game, they're gonna force you to earn it."
- Day said Donovan Jackson has embraced the change of moving from guard to tackle well. "He is athletic, he has length. ... He just doesn't have the experience. ... Every time he's out there, he's getting better."
Chip Kelly
- On Henderson: "He's an extremely versatile back that can play all three downs for you. ... You can use him on perimeter runs. ... I think he's a complete running back, and add to that his ability on third-down and pass pro pickup."
- On Howard's footwork: "I've seen Will get better each week. ... You always have to match with your footwork with the timing and the depth of the routes that we're running. ... He's starting to play at a really high level ... but there's still improvement to make."
- Kelly joked that he knows Howard always throws 80% at noon games, and thus he wants more noon games.
- Kelly said Ohio State doesn't save any of its looks for marquee opponents. "I don't think we hold anything back, I think our offense is always game-plan specific to who we're facing. ... You have to win every game, and I don't think you can take that approach of, 'Hey, let's save this for another game."
- On the offensive line: "Those guys usually go unnoticed. ... They work their tails off. I think that's the gist of any football team that's going to be a good football team, is you have to be good on both lines."
- On the offensive line overall: "All five of those positions are really different ... the fact that Donnie's done that is really great. ... Seth ... I think our guys are rallying behind those two"
- On playing at Wrigley: "I think it's cool."
- Extra defenders in the box have created an emphasis on more runs for Will Howard to equate numbers, Kelly said.
- Kelly said Howard does a great job on zone reads and other concepts that call on him to make decisions in the run game. "Will's got a really, really good understanding of our running game and I think he does a really, really good job of that."
- On the slower pace of Ohio State's offense: "I think you can communicate better. ... Before everything was driven by signals and everybody was looking to the sideline, getting everybody on the same page. ... We don't get as many possessions ... but the communication is one of the advantages of huddling."
- Kelly said it's important to see how a defense is trying to attack you and call the game based on that, not worrying about whether you're leaning too heavily on the pass or run. "I think it takes discipline to know what the defense is trying to take away from you. ... It's the ability to make those adjustments and lean one way or the other."
Will Howard
- Howard agreed with Day and Kelly that his feet are the key to his deep-ball accuracy. "When I'm inaccurate with the ball you can see my feet go dead a little bit."
- On not being in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy: "I try not to think about that stuff. I'm not worried about it, as long as we're winning football games and the Buckeyes are scoring points, I'm happy."
- On the offensive line being named a Joe Moore Award semifinalist: "I think that's huge and I think that speaks a lot to the work those guys have put in. ... They've had to work through injuries and shuffle around a little bit but those guys have stuck together."
- Howard says his background gives him an edge in the option game. "I think that RPOs are a feel a lot of times, and I think a lot of that goes back to experience. ... You can't make up reps and I've seen it and I've had the experience, but still can get better man."
- Howard said the new brick-laying tradition keeps Ohio State "grounded" and reminds the team that the work they're putting in each day matters. "It's a visual representation of all that work."
- On Henderson in the passing game: "All week we were working on that route. ... He wanted to make that more a part of his game, catching the ball, and I think he runs great routes. ... Having that ability to put the running back out in space and make a guy miss like that, it gives us a lot of new options."
- Howard said even if it's not a deep ball, getting the ball to a playmaker in the passing game is always a win for the offense. "Any time you can get a completion is a positive for the offense, and I'm trying to think of it that way."
- On noon games: "I kind of like getting up and rolling. ... I'm gonna play whenever they tell us to play, but there's something I like about just getting up and going. ... I don't like sitting around all day, just waiting. ... Would it be cool to have a night game? Sure. But I'm not worried about it."
- On playing at Wrigley Field: "It'll be interesting to play football in there but I'm excited. It's a historic landmark in a really cool city, I'm looking forward to it."
- Howard said his confidence has grown some as the left side of the offensive line has coalesced over the past two weeks, but it was already high. "It's grown a lot. I don't think it's grown too much, I think I had a ton of belief in them before that game. ... I'm so proud of those guys with how they've stepped into their new roles and done a great job, but I'm not surprised."
- Howard said sometimes he underthrows passes when he overthinks them. "When I do hit them, I just let it rip, and I think that's the biggest thing for me. Not trying to place it and just let these guys run under it."
