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What Ryan Day said at his weekly press conference
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Ohio State entered Saturday’s game with Indiana as heavy favorites, but the Hoosiers didn’t care.
In the end, the Indiana rallied back from a 28-7 first half deficit to make it a much closer game than many expected, but were unable to pull even to the Buckeyes, eventually losing 42-35.
The No. 3 Buckeyes moved to 4-0 on the season, but there were plenty of issues that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day will need to address moving forward. Quarterback Justin Fields was intercepted three times on the day. Fields was having an interception-free season heading into the game with Indiana, but the Hoosiers defense made his passing game more difficult.
The Buckeyes surrendered just one touchdown in the first half, with some close calls within Ohio State’s red zone. But it all changed in the second half after Indiana found the end zone up four times in the comeback effort.
Day addressed some of the issues in his Tuesday press conference, which will be his only meeting with the media this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Ryan Day's weekly Zoom press conference has begun. "The glaring issue was the big plays," he said of the defense against Indiana.
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 24, 2020
Day: "We have to get a couple things changed."
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 24, 2020
Ryan Day: “This defense, it's designed to avoid big plays … there's a few things we need to fix there.” pic.twitter.com/JoV7jrB0Aw
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2020
Ryan Day acknowledges that he has been a little bit more hesitant to put more backups in the game this year because Ohio State hasn't been closing out games well. But says that if young players show they belong on the field, they'll find ways to get them in the game.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2020
Ryan Day on Justin Fields learning from his three interceptions: “He's his worst critic. That's what makes him great.”
Day thinks Fields will learn from the adversity, but “I certainly don't want to see any more of those.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2020
Ryan Day said he knows this week is hard on his players and their families since they can't be together on Thanksgiving, but “They've sacrificed so much to get here,” so they're asking players to stay in Columbus to avoid increasing their risk of contracting COVID-19.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2020
Asked about the defensive front creating pressure, Day says they're getting a lot of knockdowns and pushing the pocket, and while they'd love to see more sacks, "I think they're doing a decent job of putting pressure on the quarterback for sure."
— BuckeyeScoop (@BuckeyeScoop) November 24, 2020
On whether it might be good for Justin Fields to have to deal with some adversity: "As a team, and as the head coach, we don't want this to happen" but in the long-run it probably helps.
— BuckeyeScoop (@BuckeyeScoop) November 24, 2020
Day says it's rewarding to develop the kind of relationship with a quarterback that he has with Fields. Things have gotten more honest as Fields has learned and developed opinions.
"The coaching staff may like it, but if the quarterback likes it" then it's more likely to work.
— BuckeyeScoop (@BuckeyeScoop) November 24, 2020
Day says this is an important week for everyone, and not being around families right now especially during Thanksgiving, is tough.
— BuckeyeScoop (@BuckeyeScoop) November 24, 2020
Day says people don't realize the sacrifices guys are making this year to be a part of something special.
They're not getting the "instant feedback" of the fans in the stadium, and being around their friends, and that's a real challenge.
— BuckeyeScoop (@BuckeyeScoop) November 24, 2020
Day was asked whether he had ever thrown three interceptions in a game as a QB at New Hampshire. He said he threw 5 vs. Northeastern. Making it worse, he said with a smile, was that Don Brown, now the Michigan DC, coached Northeastern.
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 24, 2020
Ryan Day on Ohio State's coverage scheme: “I like what we're doing. I think we have the right stuff in. We just gotta execute it better.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2020
Ryan Day says they're trying to make sure players are having fun when they're at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, and he hopes that being at practice is the best part of their day. “We're trying to do as many things as we can so they really love being here when they're here.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2020
Ryan Day on Justin Fields: “I believe he's the best quarterback in the country.”
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 24, 2020
Day on targeting not being called on Indiana on the fourth-down incompletion in which Fields was hit in the helmet. He said that was part of talk with Big Ten. "That was the first topic of conversation right there. I don't know how that was missed."
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 24, 2020
Scott Schultz covers Michigan State Football, along with Breaking News for B1G Football & Basketball for Saturday Tradition. He also serves as an Automotive News Editor & Writer, and Softball Writer elsewhere on the web. Follow him on Twitter @SRSchultz.