Football: UpDAYtes ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchup with Northwestern at Wrigley Field

Head coach Ryan Day stands alongside senior defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) ahead of the Purdue game at the Ohio Stadium on Nov. 9. The Buckeyes went on to claim a 45-0 victory over the Boilermakers. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor

Ohio State is at an in-between point in its season.

After winning a top-five matchup on the road against Penn State Nov. 2, the Buckeyes handed Purdue its sixth consecutive Big Ten loss 45-0 at home Saturday.

Now, the team heads to Chicago to take on Northwestern before finishing the season with two big-time contests.

Though Northwestern’s campus is located in Evanston, Illinois, the Buckeyes and Wildcats will play ball at the iconic Wrigley Field.

Here are the three biggest updates from head coach Ryan Day’s Tuesday press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Football — on a baseball field?

Saturday will mark the third time Northwestern has played a football game at Wrigley Field; however, it will be the first for Ohio State.

Day said because of the team’s unfamiliarity with the field, the Buckeyes will visit Wrigley Friday to become acclimated to the unique environment.

“I’d like for them to see the makeup of it,” Day said. “I want them to see the turf, I want them to see where the infield is filled in with some of the sod. I’d like for them to see how we’re gonna handle halftime — we’re going to be in the bullpen, not going up into the locker room. There’s just some different things that I’d like for them to see.”

Because Ohio State is accustomed to playing on turf, Day said the Buckeyes will practice on grass this week to prepare for this weekend.

But at the end of the day, Day is focused on playing Ohio State’s brand of football and taking home a win.

“It’s a different feel, but it’s a great opportunity for our team, and ultimately, it’ll be 100 yards of football field, and there will be stands on both sides and we’ll compete,” Day said.

Carson Hinzman continues to settle in

After left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury against Oregon Oct. 12, the offensive line was forced to shift around.

Offensive lineman Zen Michalski filled in for Simmons against Nebraska, and since then, the Buckeyes have moved Donovan Jackson to left tackle and inserted Carson Hinzman at left guard.

After going unnoticed — which is a compliment for any offensive lineman — against Penn State, Day said Hinzman looked solid against Purdue, during which he had an injury scare.

“I felt like he took the next step in the progression of playing guard as a starter,” Day said. “We’ll have another week of work here, but he came out of it healthy, which is good because he did have that one moment where it got a little scary there, but he’s fine now. And another week of work, another week of experience at playing guard, will go a long way.”

A key part of Hinzman’s adjustment to being a consistent starter is having veteran center Seth McLaughlin beside him.

Day said Hinzman can learn technical skills from McLaughlin, as well as how to prepare and develop good practice habits.

“When you’re with the offensive line, sometimes you’re gonna get into a game and see things that maybe hadn’t shown up in practice or the week before,” Day said. “Navigating through all that is part of it as well, with confidence and not losing your aggressiveness. There’s a lot there with the technical parts of the game, but also just emotionally understanding how to attack it.”

Evolution of the deep ball

Saturday against Purdue, quarterback Will Howard underthrew wideout Carnell Tate on a deep ball that likely would’ve resulted in a touchdown.

“Not that it was a bad throw, it’s just it could’ve been thrown with a little more juice,” Day said. “If the footwork is a little better, it probably could’ve been a little more accurate.”

The Purdue game was just the most recent example of Howard underthrowing a deep ball downfield, which Day said he attributes to footwork.

“It’s the footwork, it’s being able to time up your footwork with the route,” Day said. “That’s something we’re gonna continue to work through and with Will on. I think he’s thrown some really good balls down the field, and then sometimes, been a little bit late with his feet. We’ll keep working on that because when his feet are right, he throws a good ball.”