Ryan Day's Wednesday media availabilities are called "Lightning Rounds" because they are quicker than the average press conference.
This Wednesday, the lightning struck quicker, as the Ohio State head coach took the microphone for five minutes instead of his usual 10.
Answering around six questions on the Woody Hayes Athletic Center indoor practice field, Day talked about several topics. We've recorded some of his quotes below:
- On Lathan Ransom's recovery from an injury he suffered against Oregon: "Always concerned when guys get injured. I think it's a tribute to him. It's also a tribute to our sports medicine group. ... I think there have been several situations this season where (injuries) have been managed really well. ... He was dying to get back. ... Hats off to him."
- On Josh Fryar stepping up on the offensive line: "I just like his approach. I think he's got a grittiness to him right now, a toughness. ... Thats good for an offensive lineman. ... Playing well, playing tough. ... He's become a huge part of offense, a huge part of our offensive line."
- On Jelani Thurman stepping into a bigger role in recent weeks: "We're gonna keep adding things to his plate for the offense. ... We need him. ... We need him to play well here the rest of the season."
- On Ohio State's defense building off their performances over the past three weeks: "It's November. In November, you gotta play your best football." Day called this stretch of games "the playoffs" for Ohio State because "everything is on the line" for the Buckeyes' Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff chances.
- On Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau playing between around 25 snaps against Purdue, a low number of snaps compared to their season average: "I think some of the play was good, some of it was OK. I think JT and Jack played well in the game. That was a decision that was made ahead of time. ... That was a conscious decision in the third series going in. ... Coaches want to win. Position coaches want their guys to play well. ... It was good to see other guys get in the game and play well."
- On Will Kacmarek's recovery from the injury he suffered in the Oregon game: "He was out there at practice. Certainly very limited right now. There's a lot of great work being done there. He's ahead of schedule. We're looking to get him back out there at practice next week."
