Ryan Day looking to stay away from both good and bad attention from the outside
Playing and coaching at Ohio State means that you’re always going to have the spotlight on you. You will hear a lot of praise, but because of the high expectations, you’ll also be the victim of higher scrutiny. Head coach Ryan Day understands this. In fact, as much as possible, Day wants to shield his team from all of that attention.
While speaking to the media, Ryan Day was asked if he felt like Ohio State was under the radar, given recent marquee games that didn’t involve the Buckeyes.
“Our message, always, is to focus on us, as you know,” Ryan Day said. “But, we have to make sure good, bad, or not much–when things are being said or not said–that has nothing to do with what we’re doing on a daily basis.”
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“I think our guys have a good feel for that because, you know, we’re Ohio State. Everyone knows Ohio State is, and there’s a reason why it’s Ohio against the world for years. We understand that. So, we have an unbelievable fanbase. Buckeye nation is unbelievable, supportive, they love the Buckeyes. So, they get a lot of attention. And nationally we get a lot of attention,” Ryan Day explained.
“So, one of the things that we have to do is figure out how to block out all the noise–good or bad. So, that’s not a focus for our players. But, as things move on during the season, the noise gets louder and louder. So, that message has to be stronger and stronger.”
Ohio State’s next game is against Iowa. Both teams are coming off bye weeks.
Ryan Day on the Iowa defense
Ryan Day knows that Ohio State’s focus needs to be on Iowa. The defense that Iowa brings to the table is one of the best in the country, as Day explained what makes that unit great.
“It’s consistency. Their defensive coordinator has been there for a long time and really does a great job. Really knows how teams are attacking them. Their guys are well trained, they know how teams want to attack their defense, they know what the problems are, and they just do a great job of training their guys. They know where the issues are and they know what their weaknesses are. And they just play week in and week out the same way,” said Ryan Day. “There’s such Rolodex over the years of how they’ve been attacked. They’ve seen it all, are very well coached, and (have) very good, disciplined players”