Ryan Day, Will Howard React Following Buckeyes' 38-15 Win Over No. 5 Indiana

COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and quarterback Will Howard spoke to reporters following the No. 2 Buckeyes’ 38-15 win over No. 5 Indiana. they discussed the victory and the task ahead against Michigan next week. The highlights of everything they had to say can be found below.

Ryan Day

On playing with an edge today: “There’s probably a lot that goes into it, but that’s the way you’ve got to play the game of football.” They knew what was at stake in this game. They had to have this game to have a chance at Indy.
The crowd was awesome today. The team and the crowd played off each other. The fact that IU had to go to a silent count made a huge impact in this game. During Caleb Downs’ punt return, the crowd was as loud as he’s heard it in a while.
On Caleb Downs returning punts: They discussed the risk/reward aspect of him being back there. Midway through the season they felt that he needed to be more involved and allowed to make more of an impact on the game. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. Three weeks in a row they have had a big special teams play. “Those are big plays in matchup games.” Brian Hartline deserves a lot of credit because he heads up the punt return team. There was great effort on that play. Everybody contributed. “I felt like we had a chance to return it based on what happened earlier in the game.”
On deciding to score at the end, is there anything to that? “We just felt like we wanted to put an exclamation point on the win by going ahead and sneaking it in.”
On the OSU pass defensive plan: The plan going in was excellent. The defensive staff did a great job with it. Everybody deserves credit, but this game is played by players, not coaches. “Our players played hard today.” The defensive line won the line of scrimmage.
There are still too many pass interference calls that need to be cleaned up. “That’s just the truth.”
On the Michigan game upcoming: They will celebrate this win but it’s not going to be a late night. You can’t have a top-5 win like this and just move on. Once this game was over, it’s on to Michigan but you also have to take a breath and recognize what happened today and then move on. There’s too much work in a game like this to not acknowledge it. They’ll get back to work tomorrow.
Will Howard’s preparation that allows for good starts: “I think Buckeye Nation is now seeing after 11 games, this guy is a winner. He’s tough. He cares about his teammates. He’s a leader.” It was a tough spot when they lost Seth McLaughlin this week, but he and the other leaders raised the spirits of everybody, and that’s hard to do when you lose a leader like Seth.
TreVeyon Henderson played his tail off today. He was physical. Carson Hinzman stepping up was big today. Austin Siereveld as well. You want to make sure you recognize those guys.
There are things in this game that he’s not happy with. The red zone issues was “not good.” The crowd just kept swinging. “It was awesome.”
The offensive line: There weren’t a lot of numbers but there weren’t a lot of plays in the game. “I felt like guys were getting after it.” They were straining. This style of defense features a lot of moving and shifting. OSU ran downhill and came off the ball well. They played hard and protected well.

Will Howard

On being the first OSU QB to ever complete 80% of his passes in a season or career: “That’s cool, man, but it doesn’t really mean that much to me as long as we’re winning.” “As long as we’re winning games, I’m not really worried about stats.”
“I’m just proud of this team. I’m proud of this university. I’m proud of Buckeye Nation. That was the loudest I’ve ever heard Ohio Stadium.”
The Caleb Downs punt return sealed the game for them and took IU out of it.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for what they do and what Coach Cignetti has done over there. They’ve had a heck of a turnaround, man, but you’ve gotta remember that you’re coming into play the Buckeyes, man. It’s a little different.”
Howard called the Downs punt return: “I go, ‘2’ is taking this 74 yards to the crib here, watch this.” He is one of the best football players Howard has ever been around. He is instinctual and smart.
On the anticipation of playing against Michigan: This one is for the guys who came back. It’s for Buckeye Nation. “I can just feel it. I can feel that hurt.” The rivalry game is the first thing he heard about on his visit. Throw the records out. “I want to do this for Coach Day.” For all of the guys who came back. “I want this for them so bad.” “I want this for those guys. I want this for Coach Day, to shut up the haters.” “This rivalry game means everything, man.” “I’m just honored to be a part of it.”
He wasn’t worried about the offensive line at all. “I just hurt for Seth.” You can say whatever you want about whoever they put in there, “I don’t care. It’s next-man-up mentality.”
The defense played a heck of a game. Having two stall-outs in the red zone for the offense can’t happen. “The score really should have been 10 points more.” “I’m never going to come out of a game fully satisfied. I just don’t operate that way.”
“We’re picking up momentum at the right time.”
“We’re gonna need to turn it up. I still don’t think you’ve seen our best.” You can see the edge in people in the locker room. “I know that we have more in the tank.”
“We’ve got two big weeks coming up. I’m getting ahead of myself.”
Michigan’s record means what? “Absolutely nothing. This game is as big as they come. It’s the Michigan-Ohio State game. I’m sorry I just said that. It’s the Team Up North-Ohio State game. It’s everything.” “I’m just so excited to go out there and do this for my brothers and Coach Day, for everyone out there in Buckeye Nation that’s been hurting.”
What went through your mind when TreVeyon Henderson slid down at the one-yard line: “I said, ‘you’re a better man than me, dude.'” He’s being a smart football player. “We wanted to put an exclamation point on that thing.”