Ryan Day: 'We all know there's a lot of noise and a lot of hype around this team'

Ohio State enters this season as discussed and favored as any other team in all of college football. Even so, it’s what the Buckeyes do before the year from now until kickoff on August 31st that will determine how the fall ends up going for them.

Ryan Day discussed the upcoming weeks in Columbus to close his time at the podium while at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday. Their practices are what’s next for them in preparing for this season. The focus then becomes their work while also muting the outside noise about them coming into this massive year.

“Our focus is on this preseason,” said Day earlier today in Indianapolis. “It’s the next step.”

“You know, sure, a lot of coaches would say that you can’t really focus on what happened the year before, you can’t get too worried about what’s coming down the road. But we all know there’s a lot of noise and a lot of hype around this team. What we can’t do is let those distractions, you know, grab our focus from what we need to do day in and day out,” Day said. “We know it’s going to be a long season but we’ve got to have a great preseason. We’ve got to have a physical preseason. We’ve got to lay that foundation for what’s going to come as we head throughout the season.”

Again, the spotlight on Day and these Buckeyes is as fixated upon them as any other program in the country. It feels like it has been that way since a third-straight loss in The Game again cost them chances for the Big Ten Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Since then, many have had their criticisms yet, in turn, Day has made several moves on his staff and roster to change that.

Now, 2024 sets up where Ohio State will be one of the top teams nationally with several believing they’ll win their conference as well as compete for the national title.

Still, as Day said, not much of that is going to matter if they don’t do what they must over the next month. Only then can they achieve what they’re hoping to this year from there.

“We’re very, very excited about our guys. We have great experience in that locker room and some great talent. But it’s going to take more than talent,” Day concluded. “It’s going to take all the no-talent issues to get to where we want to be and reach our goals.”

Day blunt about expectations: ‘You’re expected to win them all’

Ryan Day recognizes what the expectations are for Ohio State in 2024 and how they fall on his shoulders.

Speaking at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday afternoon, Day gave his thoughts on the immense expectations Ohio State is dealing with ahead of a new campaign.

“Well, I think, anytime you’re at Ohio State, you know, we know you’re gonna have expectation. But there’s always going to be chatter. There’s always going to be noise. It’s our job to block all those things out and just focus on what really matters,” Day said. “I think, especially this time of year, the easy thing to do is focus on, you know, the goals, focus on the end of the season but that’s really a waste of time if we don’t build the foundation right now. Now, our guys know what the expectation is. You’ve heard some of them say, you know, what their goals are. We’re not going to shy away from that.”

“We want to win the rivalry game. Be right in this stadium right here, win this Big Ten Championship. Win a national championship. You know, we know that but, at the same time, that can’t be our focus because that’s a distraction from where we are right now. So where the season goes and what this team looks like? It’s going to look a lot different than it did last. This is a new journey. We’ve got to rebuild that to get to where we need to be. That started last winter but the next step is now in preseason.”

“We know what the expectation is. Every time I’ve gone into a season at Ohio State – I guess this is going to be my eighth season now, sixth as the head coach – you expect to win every game. That’s just what it is. And, if you don’t think that’s the case, try losing a game at Ohio State. I mean you’re expected to win them all so that’s not new.”