Buckeyes still sorting it out, especially on defense

COLUMBUS – OSU Head Football Coach Ryan Day and Defensive Coordinator Matt Barnes met with the media today. Here are the highlights:

Ryan Day

# Day said that coming into the season he did not expect to be playing quite as many young players as they are playing.  So many you players playing has changed some of the dynamics on the team.

# One of the dynamics that is most changed is leadership roles. Usually leadership comes from the older players who are playing a lot. With so many young players contributing that is not exactly playing out so far this year.

# Day feels OSU is headed in the right direction at the quarterback position.  All three quarterbacks are right about where he expected them to be in terms of development.

# C.J. Stroud appears to be healthier after his week off.  If he is indeed healthy he will be the starter against Rutgets.

# The incident with K’Vaughn Pope caused day to loose some sleep the night after the game.  That situation has been addressed.  Pope let his emotions get away in the moment and has expressed regret, but is still removed from the team.  Actions have to have consequences.

# Dewand Jones had a great game and is coming into his own. He is working hard and improving.

# The loss of leadership via graduation at the linebacker position has been felt. They are working hard at reestablishing chemistry and for new leadership to emerge.  They are making progress.

# He feels the team has progressed since the season began. They are stronger now at every position group than when the season began.

# Rutgers is a much-improved team, particularly defensively. They really held that team up north in check last week, particularly in the second half.

# The OSU defense is making strides. They are getting a better handle on who should be on the field and playing more aggressively. There are still improvements to be made but they are getting better.

# Paris Johnson is doing a very good job at guard, particularly when you consider that he is really still learning the position.

# If he had to choose which position groups have made the most progress since the beginning of the season he would choose the defensive backs and the offensive line.

# The goal on the offensive line is always to find the best five. They feel that since Mathew Jones is playing so well they really have a best six.  The O-Line room is an extremely unselfish room as witnessed by Thayer Munford moving to guard this season for the good of the team. That is a credit to coach Studrawa.

# Kyle McCord had some good plays and some bad plays. He also had some plays that he made the wrong decision but got away with it.

# Emeka Egbuka is going tot be a very special player.  He has a great attitude and continues to work very hard despite being buried somewhat on the depth chart.  Day sees very big things for him in the future.

# Chris Olave is getting a lot of attention from opposing defenses. That is helping other players on the field to make plays.

Matt Barnes

# Defensive play calling remains a group effort. There is a good dynamic right now on the coaching staff.

# Barnes likes what he sees in the growth of the young players in the secondary. They are getting better every week.

# Barnes says defense is a group effert, and there is no Lebron James on defense that can change a game all by himself. Everybody has to do their job.

# Seven Banks was out all spring with an injury, then had another issue in the fall. It is not surprising that it has taken him some time to get back based on how much practice time he missed due to the injuries.

# Ronnie Hickman is an excellent football player.  He is able to handle role changes such as playing in the box against some offenses and defending the pass against others.

# They are still looking for depth. Players cannot play 90 plays and remain at their best. They are always looking for players who have shown they deserve a role.

# Disguise is a big part of a defense. You want to create confusion in the oppossing quarterback and the oppossing play caller.

# You can see the game better from the press box but you get a better feel for the game on the sidelines. It’s also much easier to communicate adjustments from the sidelines.

Haskell Garrett

Luke Wypler