Ryan Day, Ohio State focused on 'playing 60 minutes' for future matchups

Every game Ohio State has played this season has been a laugher. Maybe not so much for the other team, but the Buckeyes have been able to sit back in their recliners without much worry by the time the second half kicks off each and every week.

Ohio State has scored over 40 points in each of its first five games, starting the year 5-0. It’s beaten every opponent by at least 24 points, with the closest game coming in the season opener against FAU. The final 30 minutes have been largely irrelevant this season.

So, if there’s one concern about Ohio State, it’s that it hasn’t played a full 60-minute game this season. When the Buckeyes eventually face that situation, how will they handle that pressure?

During his weekly radio show on 97.1 The Fan, Day stressed the importance of focusing on playing a complete game from beginning to end. Though the Buckeyes haven’t encountered one of those games yet, he knows they soon will.

Day said there's a big emphasis on playing 60 minutes this week because he said it will be needed. Of course, he also said the same thing last week.

— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) October 3, 2019

Day on not having been tested into the fourth quarter yet: "That's the thing that's kind of lingering out there." He said he keeps drilling the importance of that into his players, that they have to be ready for it.
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— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) October 3, 2019

Day has said on a few occasions this season that the Buckeyes need to be ready for a full 60-minute battle. So far, his team hasn’t needed to worry much past the opening kickoff of the third quarter.

With Michigan State coming to Columbus this weekend, it’s easily the most difficult matchup Ohio State has had to date. But does that mean we’ll see a full four quarter contest? Or will the Buckeyes do what they’ve done all season and end this thing before heading to the locker room at halftime.

Either way, Day has approached every week with the mindset that it’s going to take a full 60 minutes to get a win. It’ll be interesting to see how the Buckeyes answer the call when they’re challenged in the second half of a game.

If it ever happens, that is.