Ryan Day Ready For Will Howard Debut, Talented Buckeye Roster

COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with reporters on Tuesday for his weekly press conference. Normally, this time is used to preview the Buckeyes’ upcoming opponent, but most of the discussion during the session centered around the personnel at Ohio State, the game-day operations, and more. The highlights of everything Day had to say can be found below.

+ The starter at right guard will be Tegra Tshabola but they will continue to assess it this week. He’s earned the right to start this week. Multiple linemen will play this week.

+ They’ll play multiple guys at linebacker but Sonny Styles has separated himself and will start at Will linebacker.

+ They want Will Howard to run the team and be clean. Get them to the line of scrimmage and take care of the football. Make the routine plays routinely. But in the first game, they want him to run a clean operation. That’s communication and ball security. Then how are they converting on third downs and how are they’re sideline adjustments.

+ The depth on the offensive line has been built because they had to. Guys were forced into duty and a lot of guys got work with the ones. You can’t get away with things against the first-team defense so the young linemen had to figure it out on the run. The foundation is not complete. This is a long build towards the end of the season. They want guys to play hard and get things on film so they can make the necessary corrections.

+ Tegra Tshabola has been consistent and they’ve been able to count on him this camp. “And that matters.” He’s gotten a lot of reps in preseason.

+ Who will take the first snap at RB on Saturday? “I don’t think Lock’s decided on that yet.” They’ll roll guys and James Peoples will play as well. He is the third running back. He has made good strides but now he has to do it in games.

+ With iPads on the sideline this year, what impact will that have? The communication in-game will be important in terms of identifying what they’re seeing. They have spent time on how best to use the devices in-game. You’ll probably see more in-game adjustments than previously “but football is still football. That’s not changing.”

+ How is Will Howard handling expectations higher than he’s ever experienced? The same way he’s handled everything else to this point. He knew what came with transferring to Ohio State. “We ask our quarterbacks to do a lot here.” He’s embraced that.

+ Devin Brown is the backup quarterback. Day and Chip Kelly have talked about when and how they want to insert him into a game. It probably won’t be something early but it’s something they’ve talked about.

+ What makes Saturday a success aside from winning and staying healthy? You want as many guys to grade out as a champion as possible. That’s 80% or higher. And “that we are the hardest-playing team in the country.” If they want that to be who they are, they have to put it on film. That’s the message all week and then they’ll hold them accountable on Sunday when they grade.

+ How is this opener different than bigger openers? “For us, it’s always been about us.” You focus on the process. “Our opponent shouldn’t matter because if it does, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.” They are trying to create a standard for themselves. Nobody is allowed to have a bad day around here. There are only 12 games guaranteed, so go have fun.

+ Asked about the showing of religious faith on the team, Day said this is a very close team. They messaging from the players in the community is another example of the “great, great people” in this program. Players have come here to make an impact. The main impact is winning a championship, but there are other ways to provide impacts as well. Archie Griffin is an example of that. His impact off the field is greater than his impact on the field, and he’s an all-time great on the field.

+ Special teams in-game plans: Rob Keys is the ring leader of it all and Day will be there with him. Matt Guerrieri is running the punt team. James Laurinaitis is the kickoff coverage. Brian Hartline and Keenan Bailey are on the return teams. Day and Keys will be involved with making the calls on substitutions and things like that.

+ What are the plans on splitting carries for each RB? You have an idea of what you want for each guy but you never know how it’s going to shake out. “These things seem to have a way of working itself out.” It will be interesting to see how Quinshon Judkins does as the game wears on. “I’m excited to see how these guys run.”

+ Day did not get to see any of the FSU-Georgia Tech game last week. Some of the difficulties of the first week combined with the transfer portal is that you’re seeing a very different roster than the year before. “But as we know, you’ve got to bring it every week.” Your ranking has no indication of where you’re going to go.

+ Dealing with the heat: hydrate throughout the week. They test hydration levels every day.

+ What is GM Mark Pantoni’s contribution now and how has it evolved? “How does he help? Boy, that’s a long answer.” Pantoni has unbelievably loyal to this program and to Day. He’s the best in the business at what he does and his job has completely changed the last six years. He’s an excellent evaluator. He understands where the college game is going. Spring official visits and NIL have changed the job completely from what it used to be.

+ Chip Kelly will be up in the press box calling games. He’ll have everything organized up there and be clean after every series. When you’re on the sideline, you have your call sheet but it’s hard to get your next series ready. Upstairs, you can be more organized. Tim Drevno and Billy Fesler and Tony Johnson will be up there with him.

+ At receiver, Brandon Inniss, Bryson Rodgers, Kojo Antwi, and Jayden Ballard will all play this week. Jeremiah Smith will start the game with Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate.

+ On the excitement of finally playing a game? It feels like forever since they’ve played a game. There’s been a lot of hard work from the players and the coaches. “I can’t say enough about the leaders and the guys on this team.”

+ Do you think the offense is in a better rhythm than it was at this time last year? “We’ll see.” They’ve had some good moments but you have to do it in the game. They still need to be more consistent. They haven’t played in a game with Will Howard so they want to see which assumptions are accurate and which aren’t.

+ Will Howard’s responsibilities in the run game: There are multiple places the ball can go with a QB reading a pull or run, or throw it vs. hand it off, or check to another play. Rarely are there just plays called where it’s just do one thing. Howard has handled those responsibilities well. He needs to be the best in the country at that. Doesn’t need to be extraordinary though.

+ How important is it to have a team with an edge? It goes back to how you practice. If they’re gonna play with an edge, they have to practice with an edge.

+ He has spent extra time with Will Howard in the spring. “He definitely doesn’t have to worry about me [not] coaching him hard, I can tell you that.” “He wants to be a great player and he knows if he buys in…he’s gonna do that. We’ve seen that and more so far.”

+ There are things they need to do to make sure they build depth. Sometimes that means you put somebody in a game and you have to hold your breath, but it has to happen. “That run down the stretch is gonna take everybody you’ve got.”

+ The helmet communication is “different. It is different.” Cutting it off at 15 seconds is significant. They also have to have a plan for what happens when it goes out unexpectedly. But it has allowed Chip Kelly to communicate situationally with the QBs, like down and distance and goal, and then also getting feedback as to what is too much communication. Day has the ability to get on there as well but he’s gonna let Kelly do that.

+ Wil you watch the Connor Stalions documentary? No.

+ “Leave no doubt” is something they are using as messaging with the team. “You can’t leave it to one drive, one play.” “We have to do that. That’s probably the one this year that we’ve grabbed onto the most.”

+ On $20 million expectations: The expectations for this team and program are nothing new. The guys have had a good preseason and they are focused. They know what’s important.

+ Does it bother you that people call this “the best roster money can buy.” The players are here because of each other and wanting to win championships. Look at what they do on campus at Ohio State with fellow students. There has been a lot of hard work to put this roster together.

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