Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Knew Ohio State Would Get Northwestern’s “Best Shot” Coming Off a Bye, Expects the Same From Indiana Next Weekend

On to Indiana.

That was Ryan Day's message to the media following Ohio State's 31-7 win over Northwestern. While Day addressed several topics from the Buckeyes' victory, including Carnell Tate's two-touchdown performance and Sonny Styles' two-sack effort, the sixth-year head coach is focused on the bigger challenges that lie ahead for his team.

"I think Coach (David) Braun is doing a good job. I like the way his team plays. They're physical. They had two weeks to prepare," Day said. "It's the same thing for the team we're gonna play next week. They've had two weeks to prepare. They had a bye week. They have a week to gameplan us and a week to rest up. We know we're gonna get their best shot. That's the way we want it."

Here is a bullet-point recap of Day's postgame press conference:

Ryan Day

On Northwestern controlling possession for most of the first quarter: "We struggled getting off the field on third down on that first drive. ... We settled down a little bit. ... They really controlled the first quarter of the game. I thought about taking the ball early in this game because I knew that would be their plan, but I decided to continue what we had been doing (and kick). I thought we did a nice job at the end of the first half, going into the third quarter. ... A couple of those turnovers certainly helped us in the first half."
When asked what turned the game around for Ohio State after it trailed 7-0, Day said, "I thought we got off the field on third downs."
On Carnell Tate's two-touchdown performance: "Carnell is not someone who talks about himself or would even want me talking about him right now and everything that he's been through, but we all know that he lost his mom. He does not show that every day when he's here. We say all the time that the game doesn't care what you've been through. When you cross that line, when you go on the field, the game doesn't really care, but we do. His teammates do. His coaches do. The people who know Carnell care a lot about him. The way that he's handled himself has been an example for everybody. We care a lot about him. To see him catch two touchdown passes in his hometown in front of – I think he had over 25 people here watching him. I know it means a lot to him. It also means a lot to us. I'm really happy for him today."
Day said Ohio State emphasized stretching the field vertically and horizontally against Northwestern. He said the Buckeyes' combination of consistent completions, running the ball well and connecting on deep passes helped the team put points on the board. "Overall, good. I would have liked to see us finish the fourth quarter better, but we did what we needed to do in this game."
Day said Ohio State's defense has responded well since the Oregon game. "We've done a better job getting to the quarterback. I feel like we're playing better technically and fundamentally. We have to continue to do that. We have to understand situations. All the above."
Day said Ohio State has to build upon the experience it has gained each week in the regular season. "What you've done in the past has nothing to do with what's gonna happen moving forward – other than the fact that you've learned things, and you have to use those experiences to help you. What really matters is what we do moving into the game next week."
Day said Northwestern did a good job defending the run on Saturday, which forced Ohio State to make adjustments. "The run game takes time in certain games. We would love to hit 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-yard runs early in the game, but it takes a little time. You have to make those adjustments. ... There were some good things there overall. We will learn from it and grow from it. Every week, you have to keep getting better."
Ohio State rotated cornerbacks Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Mathews Jr. frequently on Saturday. When asked about that rotation, Day said, "We did it last week, too. We will continue to do that when we feel it's appropriate to play depth. ... We got more and more guys reps the past couple of weeks. I think it's helped the overall morale of the team. I think it helps in practice. I think it helps with our depth. I think it's healthy for us."
On Sonny Styles' two-sack performance: "We need Sonny to be as productive as he was today. When you can do it in man coverage, zone coverage and blitz – you start to mix in all these things that you can do – then you become more of a weapon. You saw him get after the quarterback today. ... Good for him to see some of that work paying off. We're gonna need him more."
Day said he knew Northwestern would give Ohio State its "best shot" coming off a bye week. He expects Indiana to have the same mentality next weekend. "It's the same thing for the team we're gonna play next week. They've had two weeks to prepare. They had a bye week. They have a week to gameplan us and a week to rest up. ... We knew we're gonna get their best shot. That's the way we want it."
Day said Ohio State was "fired up" seeing Ohio State fans crowding the bars around Wrigley Field as early as 7 a.m. "It was great to see Buckeye Nation traveling like this. I even looked up and saw the stands from across the street and all the (scarlet) up there. We just really appreciate them supporting us in an environment like this."

Ohio State players Carnell Tate, Will Howard, Seth McLaughlin, Jordan Hancock, Sonny Styles and Jack Sawyer also met with reporters following the game and you can see what they had to say in the videos below.