'The adrenaline is going now': What Ryan Day said as Ohio State prepares for Michigan

This is a big one.

That’s the case every year when Ohio State and Michigan go head-to-head on the gridiron. This year, the stakes are even higher. With both teams entering The Game at 10-1, the winner of Saturday’s heavyweight fight in Ann Arbor will play for a B1G title in Indianapolis.

On Tuesday, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day met with reporters to talk about the upcoming clash between the Top 10 teams. He had plenty to say about the intensity of the rivalry game, what’s on the line and how the team prepares for “The Team Up North.”

Here’s everything Day had to say on Tuesday:

Ryan Day on beating Michigan: "We talk about it in recruiting. That's our No. 1 goal at Ohio State — beat the team up north."

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day: "This is a very good defense (we're playing). They play with an edge. We've got to practice with an edge."

"The preparation this week is very, very important."

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day: "The adrenaline is going now"

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day says there are no bulletin boards, but TVs in the facility.

"We'll put stuff up on there every now and then."

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day: "We don't need any more motivation. The rivalry game. Two teams playing with a chance to go to Indianapolis."

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day on preparing for The Game year-round: "We always have an eye on them. You can't be crazy about it, because you'll lose sight of the task at hand."

Says there's a focus in the offseason, things in the weight room, recruiting, etc.

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day says nothing really changes with the records being what they are (both Ohio State and Michigan are 10-1).

Preparation stays the same, essentially.

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day says the quality he appreciates most about Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson & Jaxon Smith-Njigba is their unselfishness.

— Dustin Schutte (@SchutteCFB) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day on individual awards: “I think the awards should go to the best players, not necessarily the best statistics.” Says he thinks there are different scenarios that sometimes keep Ohio State players from having the same statistics at players from other schools.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day on the 62- and 56-point games in 2018 and 2019: “Right now, that means nothing … All I'm thinking about is playing this game.”

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day says “you have to maximize every single second” in preparation for this week’s game.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day said he doesn't want C.J. Stroud’s approach going into this game to be different than it’s been for any other game. He doesn't want Stroud to overthink things.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day said that after watching the double overtime game between Ohio State and Michigan in 2016, the year before he joined Ohio State’s staff, he thought to himself, “I want to be a part of this,” because of how much the rivalry means to so many people.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day said he's hopeful Emeka Egbuka will be available to play against Michigan.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 23, 2021

Ryan Day says growing up, Ohio State-Michigan was "just one of those things you always watched."

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) November 23, 2021

Day says Cade Kacherski looks like he has "more of a long-term deal," but that Cody Simon's injury does not look like a long-term one.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) November 23, 2021

On Hutchinson and Ojabo, Ryan Day says they will be a "very big challenge for our tackles and our whole offense." Day says the Buckeyes won't deviate from what they do well just because of their presence, though.

— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) November 23, 2021

Ohio State and Michigan are scheduled to meet in Ann Arbor at 12 p.m. ET with the game airing on FOX. ESPN’s College GameDay will also be making the trip to preview the colossal showdown.

The Buckeyes are winners of 8 straight in the rivalry series. Michigan’s last victory came in 2011.