On Wednesday, Ryan Day called Ohio State's final three games against Northwestern, No. 5 Indiana and Michigan "the playoffs," as the Wildcats, Hoosiers and Wolverines stand between the Buckeyes and their hopes of winning a Big Ten championship and national title in 2024.
Day reiterated that message on The Ryan Day Radio Show on Thursday, explaining that Ohio State's players must be unselfish for the Buckeyes to accomplish their goals down the stretch.
"This time of year, it cannot be about me," he said. "It's got to be about us and we and the team."
The sixth-year head coach addressed several other topics on the show, including Carnell Tate's return to Chicago and Eddrick Houston's development at 3-tech. Linebacker Sonny Styles followed Day on the broadcast to discuss his relationship with Cody Simon and more.
Here is all the need-to-know information from the latest episode of The Ryan Day Radio Show:
Ryan Day
On Ohio State's practices before the Northwestern game
- "Got a good plan going into the game."
- "Excited to play in this one and continue what we got going on in November."
On the Purdue game
- "I thought the punt block kind of jump-started us."
- "We want to win the middle part of the game, those middle eight (minutes)."
- Day said Ohio State "pulled away" after the punt block.
- Day wants the Buckeyes to continue to improve on third down. "We want perfection."
On Ohio State's offensive line
- "I think that there's a confidence that's continuing to build."
- "They know that the run we are about to go on right here starts and ends with them. They're taking pride in it. I like the way they've worked this week."
- "We got to do it again in Chicago on Saturday."
On Eddrick Houston
- "He embraced playing 3-technique."
- "We saw some things in him skill-wise that led us to believe he can be an elite 3-technique."
- "We've seen quickness, athleticism, power. He's continuing to learn how to play the position, but we're seeing a lot of positives there. Excited about his future."
On Jermaine Mathews Jr.
- "He's very, very competitive."
- "You hear him before you see him."
- "I like his approach."
- "We're gonna need him down the home stretch."
- "I like the energy he brings every day in practice."
On using the JACK position against Purdue
- "We'll look to build on it, for sure."
- "There's some things in there we gotta improve on and get better at."
- "It gave us a little bit of a mix-up."
On TreVeyon Henderson returning a kick against Purdue
- Day said Henderson asked to return kicks for Ohio State. Day said the Buckeyes didn't hesitate to let him, though the head coach said Brandon Inniss and Emeka Egbuka have done a great job on kick returns and will continue to be involved in that role.
- "We'll continue to work on that."
- "We'll continue to give (Henderson) opportunities."
On Ohio State huddling more this season
- With Ohio State huddling more, Day said the Buckeyes will have fewer plays game-to-game. That means there will be fewer touches for the team's offensive weapons.
- "This time of year, it cannot be about me. It's got to be about us and we and the team. I think our guys have done a great job of that. There's a lot of great examples on our team."
On Northwestern
- "Anytime you play Northwestern, you're gonna get a good team that plays hard and is well coached."
- "I think Coach (David) Braun is doing a good job."
- "They're very sound in what they do."
- "They're gonna play really hard."
- "They're coming off of a bye week. They're gonna be well prepared."
On whether Ohio State can target Gee Scott Jr. "too often"
- "I don't think so."
- "The tight end position gives you a lot of flexibility in what you can do."
- "The tight ends are a huge weapon, and we want to make sure they're a big part of our offense moving forward."
- Day said Jelani Thurman has been "coming along" this season. He said the Buckeyes hope to get Will Kacmarek back at practice next week.
On Henderson and Quinshon Judkins splitting reps
- "I think they're making each other better. They're pushing each other."
- "They're taking reps away from each other, which is helping in the backend."
- "A good look in their eye. We need them to run that way on Saturday."
- Day said Ohio State can put Henderson and Judkins on the field simultaneously. "We'll continue to build on what we consider our fastball... but then also have wrinkles."
On Ohio State's O-line being named Joe Moore Award semifinalists
- "They deserve that recognition. Now they've got to continue to build that into championship play."
- "There's a lot of energy coming out of that room right now."
- "They're looking to attack people. That's gotta continue to be a big part of our offense."
On Jeremiah Smith
- "I think it's what we're all looking for is consistency."
- "It's one thing to do it and flash. It's another thing to do it consistently over time. That becomes who you are. I know that's what Jeremiah is looking to do. He wants to play his best football at the end of the season."
- "You're seeing consistent play. That has a lot to do with how he's practicing every day."
On playing at Wrigley Field
- "It's gonna be 100 yards. It's gonna be in front of fans. We're gonna go play."
- "We are gonna go there on Friday because of the uniqueness of the setup there."
- "We are gonna go to the batting cages at halftime and not go all the way up into the clubhouse because of the design on that and how long it takes to get moving there."
- "We want the guys to get a feel of what the turf is like — just the layout of it — and where the clock is. It's not a football field. It's a baseball field. It's not designed to play football on it."
- Day said Ohio State will only be at Wrigley Field for 15 to 20 minutes on Friday, but Day thinks that will be worth it in the long run.
- Day said he hopes Ohio State can have a "great presence" during the game in the stadium.
On Carnell Tate
- Tate's mother, Ashley Griggs, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago in July 2023. With Tate returning to Chicago this weekend, Day said, "I just cannot say enough about Carnell Tate. I'm not gonna get into it right now. But I just have so much respect for who he is as a person, what he's been through, and the fact that he's going back to Chicago."
- "I want to win this game personally for him, and I know the team respects the fact that he's going home and it means a lot to him.
- "He's not a guy who speaks a lot or says a lot or tries to bring a lot of attention to himself. He's a team player. I know the team loves who he is. I know Buckeye Nation appreciates him."
Sonny Styles
On Cody Simon
- "He's such a veteran."
- "He taught me a lot."
- "He's seen a lot of ball."
- "He's helped me a lot."
- "I think he's really helping me, pulling me along."
On Ohio State's shutout against Purdue
- "The goal is to get a shutout and not let the offense score."
- Styles said Ohio State's defense was "frustrated" Purdue was able to drive down the field and reach the red zone.
- Styles said the defense continues to focus more on where it can improve rather than what it's done well.
On playing with his brother Lorenzo
- "It's definitely cool."
- "A lot of people don't get to play with their brother and sister in college... it's definitely special."
