Head coach Ryan Day leads the Ohio State football team onto the field at Ohio Stadium before playing Minnesota. The No. 2-ranked Buckeyes defeated the Golden Gophers 37-3 Saturday. Credit: Lily Hynes | Assistant Photo Editor
For the second consecutive year, and only the seventh time in history, Ohio State and Michigan are set to clash as unbeaten adversaries.
As anticipation builds for The Game between the No. 2 Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) and the No. 3 Wolverines (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten), head coach Ryan Day’s press conference Tuesday shed light on the team’s preparation and mindset for the highly anticipated rivalry game.
Day emphasized the need for his team’s focus this week, ensuring a distraction-free environment for his players, yet he still wants them to embrace the moment.
“You have to play with emotion, but you can’t let emotion play with you,” Day said. “You have to have your emotions in check, which isn’t easy. In a game like this because we all know the magnitude of it all, but it’s something that we identified in the offseason, so then we’ll talk about this week.”
Here are some key updates from Day’s press conference.
Avoiding distractions:
Throughout the season Day has stressed the importance of staying disciplined on and off the field. However, he made it apparent that the emotions of this game cannot hamper his team’s production in practice or The Game.
“Every year, you learn more and more about this game,” Day said, “We’re not going to let any of that stuff get in our way in terms of distractions; we’re just going to focus on this team, this season and prepare the best we possibly can.”
Last season, Ohio State’s defense allowed 45 points against the Wolverines and 530 total yards.
With Michigan currently under investigation for its sign-stealing scandal and head coach, Jim Harbaugh, serving a three-game suspension, Day said he wants no interruption or diversion in preparation.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles echoed Day’s sentiments Tuesday afternoon.
“We have to be focused on what’s happening right now, the things that are in our control,” Knowles said. “Whatever happened, happened, that’s not going to help us.”
McCarthy and McCord recruiting:
Wolverines starting quarterback and Illinois native J.J. McCarthy was heavily recruited by Ohio State in 2019. However, so were many other top talents, including Buckeye’s junior quarterback Kyle McCord.
This ultimately left Day with a tough decision, to choose between the New Jersey native McCord, or McCarthy, who said he grew up a Buckeye fan.
“There’s all kinds of things that lead to recruiting,” Day said. “J.J. was always great. He was very respectful. He was a very competitive player, and we’ve got a lot of respect for him as a player and as a person.”
McCarthy heads into the matchup with over 2,300 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions, while McCord has 2,899 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Both were five-star recruits coming out of high school.
Henderson effect:
Since returning from injury, TreVeyon Henderson has put up 100-yard games in three of his last four. The junior running back has added five touchdowns during that stretch, becoming a late-season vital player for the Buckeyes’ offense.
Day said the evolution of the run game has been key for the offense’s success, and Henderson’s return has allowed him to try new strategies.
“Trey coming back has made a big impact,” Day said. “Identifying each week what’s worked for us and what hasn’t, and fixing those things just over time getting better. I think the infusion of Trey certainly helped.”
Henderson will likely be looking for a big game against the Wolverines after not playing in the previous game due to a lingering injury.
Injuries:
Day chose not to comment on any injury updates leading into the matchup. The kickoff is set for noon Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
