Ryan Day Updates: Tennessee's Challenges, Possible Offensive Line Changes, More

COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with reporters on Monday as game week is finally here. The Buckeyes host Tennessee Saturday night for an opportunity to advance to the Rose Bowl to face Oregon. Day answered questions about the Vols, his own team, the transfer portal, and much more.

What’s the message to the fans this week? Excited for the fans to get back together for an historic event. This is the first time ever in the Shoe for a playoff game. Senior Tackle was yesterday. The players talked about their love for this program and their teammates. Talked to the parents of the seniors about what this game means to them is great, but it should be just as exciting for the fans. They are all invested in this.
Why did you huddle this season? At the outset of the season, this was a new era with the expanded playoffs and coach-to-player communication. Having Will Howard being able to look at his teammates in the huddle and set a message each play was great at times. Mixing in tempo can be an advantage as well. It will be part of the plan. The games go faster now so there’s more focus on efficiency. Tennessee will play fast, which will force OSU to line up defensively.
How much focus is there on the transfer portal right now? The No. 1 focus is Tennessee but you can’t live in a vacuum. They have to continue to put a roster together for next year.
On the offensive line: Luke Montgomery has gotten some reps at guard, so you’ll probably see him in there. Austin Siereveld could rotate with Tegra Tshabola. There will be some rotation.
Devin Brown is the backup right now but Julian Sayin is right there and getting reps as well. “You just never know how this thing is gonna shake out.”
Luke Montgomery has just continued to get better. He deserves an opportunity after assessing the last game. He was close to playing anyway, so now it’s time to give him an opportunity.
Is there anything different this week logistically than a standard game in Ohio Stadium? They’re going to do what they’ve always done for home games, but they will use their experience in playoff games as a reference point. They have stayed on a game-week routine. There hasn’t been the same kind of time off as there is for a bowl game.
On players who have announced their transfers: Gabe Powers will not be on the roster. Kojo Antwi will be on the roster for the playoffs. Jayden Ballard will not be. Devin Brown still will be on the roster.
Have to make sure they are maximizing their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses right now. This team is in a different place than they were at the start of the season. That’s both offensively and defensively.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re getting our best players the ball.”
Was Will Howard limited at all in the second half against Michigan? “He’s doing great. He’s had a couple of great weeks of practice.” There were plays that he’ll want to have back. “But the one thing about Will is that he’s got a positive mindset and he’s very resilient.” He wants to get back out on the field. You can see that. He wants to lead this offense. “He’ll be ready to go.”
What can you take away from the lead up to the game against Georgia and apply to this game? There are guys who were part of that team who know what the playoffs are like. “Once you get into the playoffs, it’s a brand-new start.” This team has earned the opportunity to play in the playoffs. “The bottom line is we are in the playoffs.” Every team has issues and deficiencies. The team that can address those the best is going to win this thing. “Our guys recognize this.”
How does Tennessee’s tempo impact the game? Chip Kelly was one of the first to ever do this, and Day was his quarterback. They were laughing about that the other day. Tennessee is very well coached and they are physical. They want you to not get aligned and not communicate well, but then get tired and play undisciplined. “We know what that style is, but it doesn’t make it easy.” They have had a couple of weeks to prepare for this. Jim Knowles’ plan for this is excellent. The scout team has done well pressing the defense.
How have you changed your approach to this game compared to the Michigan game? “We are all invested in this thing in a big, big way.” If you could have seen Senior Tackle yesterday you would have seen how much this team cares. When you win a game, it’s thrilling. When you lose, it’s heartbreaking, and we’re not going to apologize for that because games mean a lot. But you have to move on from a loss. There’s no point in moving backward in time when you’re in the playoff. This team is ready to play. “We’re gonna play our tails off on Saturday night.”
Having three weeks between games is kind of the sweet spot for healing and making adjustments from the loss, but then having time to recognize that there are still playoffs ahead of you. The Game is never going to change, but the postseason has, so you have to prepare for it and keep moving forward.
How challenging has it been to get the seniors up for this game? As a group, everybody leaned on each other and pushed each other. There are great men on this team. There were 29 seniors who spoke at Senior Tackle. They understand what’s at stake and what’s in front of them. “Life is a fight.”
Last week was a great week of practice with great energy.
What discussions did you have with Chip Kelly about the Michigan game plan after the fact? They need to maximize their personnel. In the last game, they were only about 30% of their snaps that were “normal,” i.e. not situational. They did not do well in their situational snaps, and we’re particularly good on third downs. They have to do better on those plays. This is a different offense than they were three weeks ago or five weeks ago, so they have to recognize that and prepare accordingly.
You have to do a good job of identifying your strengths versus your opponent. This is an opponent that you don’t typically see, so you don’t always know what they do in situations. So you have to do a great job of predicting that. You also have to make sure you’re doing enough things that you know, but then you have some changeups to throw in when the time is right.
Are you interested in donating money back to the university like other coaches are doing? “I’ve just been focused on this game right here,” but there are always thoughts on how to raise money for NIL. It is a daily conversation right now at Ohio State. The numbers that people are talking about now are only going up and OSU needs to be at the cutting edge of that process.
Does having already played in a cold game help you prepare and know what to expect? Yes it does. They have acclimated to the weather. It’s like playing in the NFL playoffs. “Our guys are excited about it and about being at home.” They’ve been practicing in this weather for two weeks.