Ryan Day Says Ohio State Plans to Play A Spring Game on April 12

Despite renaming this year’s spring game as a spring showcase, Ryan Day said Monday that his plan is for Ohio State to still play a traditional spring game in its final practice of the spring at Ohio Stadium, citing the importance of simulating game reps in the stadium and preparing to start the season fast when the Buckeyes host Texas on August 30.

Day said the decision to rename the spring game as a spring showcase this year was made so that Ohio State would have flexibility in case injuries left the Buckeyes thin at any position group. As long as the team remains healthy for the next three weeks, though, the plan will be for the Buckeyes to play a full scrimmage on April 12, with Day saying he expects the spring game to look similar as it has in past years.

“My plan is to have a spring game. I just think we need to save a little bit of wiggle room in case we take injuries. That's it,” Day said. “So we want to do this. We want to play a spring game. Now, there may be some guys that are held from the spring game, but not many. We're 159 days away from playing Texas, and that day will matter to a lot of young players. So we need to get out there and compete. The format of it and how it works will probably be similar to what we've done in the past. So it'll be a great opportunity for fans and folks to see our guys and get out there and play.”

While several other college football teams have cited concerns about other teams tampering with their players in canceling spring games, Day said he is not concerned about that aspect and believes the benefits of getting players experience playing in front of fans outweighs any drawbacks of other teams being able to see their players in action.

“That part of it, to me, it is what it is, but we need to go do it. It's important that we start the season fast, and I think that first step is playing in the spring game,” Day said. “If we're down some linemen or down some bodies and we have to adjust, we'll figure that out from there. But we're, I guess, just three weeks out here, and so we plan on playing in that spring game on April 12th. So looking to get a great crowd, and I know we've got some great things planned that day.”