Ryan Day Previews Notre Dame, Sees Challenges Ahead

COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with reporters for his weekly Tuesday press conference. With Notre Dame on the docket for Saturday, there was plenty to talk about. The highlights of everything he had to say can be found below.

The offensive line took a step in the right direction. “You saw them playing hard.” They need to rock off the ball and finish people, and they did that. They need to continue to do that this week as well.
Going into Notre Dame, you have built up what you do over the first three games. They have some confidence and rhythm right now, but it will come down to winning the line of scrimmage. It will come down to the fourth quarter and who is there in the end. The guys are excited about this game. You could see that on Sunday.
“It’s going to come down to who is going to compete more.”
He is comfortable with the balance right now. They are spreading the passes around. They are able to attack from different personnel groupings. Defenses can’t focus in on just one guy. That will be important in this game.
They can definitely ratchet up the intensity this week. “We don’t have a choice. These are the kind of games why you come to Ohio State.” This is a series that doesn’t happen often. Last year’s atmosphere was electric and it will be the same way on Saturday night.
How does a play caller deal with a CB like Denzel Burke? You have to know where he is and be smart about what you’re doing and when you’re doing it. Not that you’re going to change your game plan, but you need to know where he’s going to be so your quarterback can be prepared. Games like this can come down to matchups, so you need to know the favorable matchups.
Will you be able to take a moment and enjoy the moment Saturday night? “Probably not.” But that’s just the game. He’s been there before when he was with Boston College. “This is the highest level of college football.”
Was he happier with the offense or defense after the WKU game? He was just happy with all of the intensity. They need to carry that forward and make sure it means something today and moving forward.
Kyle McCord is growing as a decision maker. “I think you saw that. Not that everything’s perfect. Nothing ever is.” This week will be a challenge. It’s been a build up to this point. They have to do a great job of preparing. “I get more worked up for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday than I do for the games.”
On putting too much on Kyle McCord’s plate, McCord’s got to make throws and take care of the game. They have to do whatever it takes to win the game. Whatever that looks like, that’s what McCord will need to do.
This is a defense that has played on the big stage before. They have a lot of veterans back from last year. “It’s all there.”
What stands out about ND’s offense from last year? “Very different. Different coach, different quarterback.” Veteran quarterback. Accurate, intelligent. Won a lot of games at Wake Forest. Efficient. They’re doing a really good job of using him. They run the ball out of multiple groupings. This is a more pro-style offense than last year.
Any time you’re dealing with a pro-style running game you have to prepare for the play-action. That goes hand-in-hand. They’re doing a good job with that and it will be a good challenge for the defense. They had a long conversation about it today.
Biggest difference in Tyleik Williams this year? Great to see him play 50 plays. There were times when he got better as the game went on. He’s got his feet back under him after an injury in camp. He’s powerful and athletic. He’s doing great with his hands. ND has a good offensive line, that’s well documented.
Mickey Marotti had to run for being penalized for a sideline warning on Saturday.
Notre Dame has a veteran defense and they don’t give up big plays. They force you to move it down the field.
When the OSU offense is playing with tempo, they find comfort and rhythm in that. It’s a tool that they use. Some games more than others. It still always comes down to execution.
How much better do you feel about your team than you did before the opener against Indiana? Definitely glad they had three games to figure out who they are as a team and what they do well.
Why did you only win 21-10 last year? In matchup games, the score doesn’t really matter. What matters is winning and losing. In that game, what they did was the right thing to do to get the win. That’s the ultimate goal. That’s what they’ll do in this one.
How much does QB experience matter in “matchup games?” “Yeah, I think it’s a factor.” Kyle McCord hasn’t started a bunch but he’s been around. He’s seen a lot in his time at Ohio State.
It is a different approach this year than last year because both teams know more about themselves than they did in game one last year.
Notre Dame has NFL players in the back seven. They don’t give you any freebies. They tackle well and they’re physical.
You’ve seen a bit of a different approach from Kyle McCord. He had his best practice week of the year after being named captain.
TreVeyon Henderson has had a great approach this year. He’s running hard. He’s a weapon. He can be a difference maker for them. You’re seeing a guy who runs downhill and is also a threat in the open field.
Chip Trayanum hasn’t surprised Day because he has a great attitude and has put in a ton of work. “This is kind of what I thought we’d see.”
Sam Hartman has poise and is a great decision maker.