Ryan Day takes the pulse of Ohio State as Buckeyes prepare for College Football Playoff

Ohio State has a tall task ahead of them in the College Football Playoff semifinal. On New Year’s Eve, the Buckeyes have a showdown against the top-ranked team in the country Georgia. But before they take the field, the Buckeyes have weeks of practice and preparation ahead of them. As they’ve started to ramp up their preparations, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day gave the pulse of his team and how the days leading up to the game will be broken down.

“We’re inside of three weeks now. We talked about it going into that final weekend and then coming out of it; just a refocus,” said Day. “I think our practices have been spirited so far. I think the guys have had really good urgency about them. They have a good feel for what this is going to be like. And just the electricity and how important every play is going to be in this game.

“So, we’re still in the fundamental phase. We’re going to start making the transition into game planning here soon. And then we get down to bowl week. So, we have three phases when we talk about bowl practice. The energy has been really, really good. Guys are finishing up finals now, and now it’s just going to be all football.”

Day and the Buckeyes will be without at least two of their top stars on offense and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back TreVeyon Henderson. Still, Ohio State will have the leader of their explosive offense, quarterback CJ Stroud, and the remaining talent surrounding him.

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson announces his season is done

Henderson tweeted out he will not be able to close out the year, ruling him out of the Peach Bowl and a potential CFP national championship game. The Buckeyes’ star running back will undergo foot surgery, effectively ending his year.

“As much as I wanted to finish out the season with my brothers, I know god have bigger and better plans for me! Its always light at the end of the tunnel, be back better than ever,” Henderson said.

Unlike Smith-Njigba, Henderson is expected back with the Ohio State program next season. He just completed his sophomore season and will be viewed as one of the top running backs coming back in the Big Ten.

While Henderson would much rather be out there with his teammates in Atlanta than discuss next season, a foot injury will keep him sidelined.

Henderson appeared in just eight games this season, with Nov. 19’s Maryland matchup being the final one. He finished with 537 yards and six touchdowns on 107 carriers after splitting with Miyan Williams for a majority of the year.