COLUMBUS — Ohio State had coach Ryan Day will meet with reporters for the first time since Saturday’s victory over the Michigan Wolverines. He is expected to provide some personnel updates on his team, while also answering questions about the win over Michigan as well as this coming weekend’s game against Wisconsin for the Big Ten title. We will provide live updates once the session gets underway around 12:00 pm. Refresh for the latest updates.
+ Day and Fields talk about how Fields is playing and feeling. They trust each other.
+ “To win this conference is a huge deal.” It’s been done before but they don’t take it for granted. If you win the B1G championship, a lot of things have gone well and more things can go well.
+ Regarding a Heisman campaign at Ohio State, Day said it kind of speaks for itself. You don’t have to campaign when your performance in a rivalry game speaks for itself. But the other thing is that these guys haven’t played as much as other guys have, so their numbers are skewed. They have all had Heisman moments and all three deserve to go to Ohio State.
+ They won’t hold recruiting spots prior to the December signing day for players who sign elsewhere at schools where coaches leave. The transfer portal has changed things as well and forces them to forecast some things.
+ People didn’t think much of Ohio State before the season. The players deserve more credit for what they have done this season. It’s not just talent, it’s hard work with great discipline and leadership. “I think these kids deserve that.”
+ Everything Wisconsin does on offense is so sound.
+ There is no thought to sitting Justin Fields. “We will use him all 60 minutes.”
+ The three interior offensive linemen have an approach to the game that is off the charts. They’re tough. They finish guys and knock them down. They are the tip of the spear on the offense. Their athleticism up front allows you to do a lot of things.
+ When he sees his players having success in the Michigan rivalry, “It’s as good a feeling as you can possibly have.” But he’s not trying to think back on that right now. “It’s very humbling.”
+ Do you have to be dynamic on offense to win it all now? “I think it definitely helps.” But you still need to be complementary on offense. “If you want to make a run at this thing, you have to be great.”
+ OSU isn’t out recruiting right now while everybody else is. That’s why OSU is calling the players to explain why and the players all understand that it’s a good problem to have. It provides “huge credibility in recruiting.”
+ Regarding asst coaches having head coaching opportunities, that’s one of the reasons you come here. “That’s healthy. It’s good for families.” All he asks is that they make sure they make the finish line first. He doesn’t expect any of that to happen this year.
+ “They kicked out tails the first half on offense.” Wisconsin’s defense had them pretty good. OSU pulled away at the end. It will be another tough game. Wisconsin has adapted.
+ Definitely felt more relief than happiness after beating Michigan. Jeff Hafley mentioned to him after the game about imagining walking through the halls of the Woody with all of the signage about The Game and having to stare at it all year after a loss.
+ Asked about the talk that OSU doesn’t need to win this game to make the playoffs, “all I know is we have to go win this game for a lot of reasons.” That’s the focus. “We just have to win this weekend.”
+ Chase Young played well because he opened up things for his teammates.
+ They regularly send in plays to the Big Ten to be reviewed, such as plays where Chase Young is being held. “I think the referees do a good job. They can’t catch them all.”
+ The games that got them to this point don’t mean anything if they lose to Wisconsin.
+ It will be nice playing indoors for the first time in a while.
+ It will be really tough to beat Wisconsin twice. “This is a very, very well-coached team.” They’ve gotten better as the season has gone on.
+ The plan will not change, they will be redshirting Jonathon Cooper no matter what happens at his position from here on out. “We think it’s the best thing to just hold tight.”
+ You do everything you can to be successful, and running Justin Fields puts them in those successful situations. But there’s a risk that goes with it.
+ He’s been a part of the last couple of recruiting classes, so it’s going to be a bear the last two weeks before signing day, but it’s the new normal. “It will be a race.”
+ Day was a bit numb when he saw Justin Fields go down, trying to figure out the solutions to the issue at hand. Then when he talked to Fields, Fields told him to just put a different brace on it and he’d be fine. So that was a cool thing to be around.
I certainly hope they send the obviously targeting late hit play/forearm to the back 44 planted on Fields, who was already 5 feet out of bounds before he very visibly began his running launch, to the Head Of Officials for review. Also the ShoeGate play.