Quick hitters from Ryan Day, Eli Drinkwitz Cotton Bowl press conference

ARLINGTON, Texas — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz met with the media to preview the Cotton Bowl in AT&T Stadium.

Lettermen Row has a rundown of what the coaches said ahead of Friday’s top-10 showdown.

What Day said…

+ Day said Ohio State has had a great week of practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They shifted from fundamentals to game plan and then game week practice. He said it’s been exciting to see the Buckeyes rally around Devin Brown, who is making his first career start at quarterback. Day said he knows it’s going to be a battle against a team like Missouri.

+ Day was asked about the Buckeyes’ sixth-year players (OL Matthew Jones, S Josh Proctor and WR Xavier Johnson). He said jokingly that he’s going to petition to get some guys an eighth year of eligibility. “These guys embody what it means to be a student-athlete,” and they’ve left a legacy in their position rooms, Day said. All of those guys have had opportunities to declare early and go to the NFL, but they’ve stuck around at Ohio State.

+ When asked about it, Day said that, down the road, the helmet technology makes a lot of sense, but he and Drinkwitz agreed that December has enough challenges in itself so they decided against using that for the Cotton Bowl.

+ Day was asked about the upcoming 12-team CFP and how different it will be next season, and he said that four teams getting a bye in the first round will be significant. And it will be important to play your best football down the stretch. The health of your team will be critical, too, Day said.

+ Day was asked about the up-and-down and injury-riddled season Brown has had. Day said Brown knows what the preparation looks like for a game like this. He was right there with Kyle McCord in the offseason competition under center. But now he gets an opportunity to play in a full game.

+ Day declined to answer about who will and won’t be playing in the Cotton Bowl. He repeated that he wants those guys to be able to announce those decisions on their own.

+ Day was asked about the legacy of Marvin Harrison Jr. He said that Harrison is a pro and has been a pro, and he’s his own man, separate from everything his father has done. Harrison wants to be the best receiver who has ever played the game, and “his habits reflect that,” Day said.

+ Day was asked about AD Gene Smith and his final football game as Ohio State’s athletic director. Day said Smith has done his job with success on and off the field. His impact on people, including to Day and his family, is what stands out the most.

+ Day was asked about the offensive line. He said the Buckeyes found their identity in the run game, with TreVeyon Henderson coming back from injury in the back half of the season (he missed three games early in the year). It began to flow from there, Day said. They understood what they were up front and what their backs could do. Day said left tackle Josh Simmons was still learning the offense early after transferring in post-spring ball. Carson Hinzman was a redshirt center and Josh Fryar was a first-year starter — they all improved with time.

+ Day was asked about what he’d change to the recruiting calendar. He said they’ve got to figure out a way to make December work. “December’s not working,” Day said. Like Drinkwitz, Day agreed it’s not so simple as moving signing day. They have to look at it from a big picture, start from scratch and go from there.

+ Day stressed the importance of winning the Cotton Bowl, but he said there are going to be opportunities for new players to seize new roles. He’s trying to strike a balance between playing his veterans and trying to win but also building a foundation for next season.

+ Day was asked about how much Brown’s performance will affect the 2024 view of the quarterback situation. Day said this is the opportunity Brown has wanted, and it’s his chance to take it and run with it. Once the season’s over, they’ll figure out where they’re at. But right now, he’s the Ohio State quarterback.

What Drinkwitz said…

+ Drinkwitz emphasized the importance of playing a clean game after 34 days off, in terms of avoiding pre and post-snap penalties, in addition to avoiding missed tackles. Drinkwitz was highly complimentary of Ohio State and described the Buckeyes as championship caliber.

+ Drinkwitz was asked about the 12-team CFP, and he said there’s not going to be a change in how important every game is going to be. There are going to be some teams that will get in with 10 or 11 wins, but there’s still going to be high pressure.

+ Drinkwitz was asked about quarterback Brady Cook and his full-circle moment playing in the Cotton Bowl for Missouri as a St. Louis native. He said Cook and running back Cody Schrader have been taking the preparation seriously and are very focused.

+ Drinkwitz was asked about extending both of his coordinators. He said you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Drinkwitz said those guys have a vertical alignment with his vision for the program. They’ve been part of the program’s “low ego, high value” mindset. “We wouldn’t have the season we’ve had without Blake Baker and Kirby Moore,” Drinkwitz said or his DC and OC, respectively.

+ Drinkwitz was asked about the impact of wide receiver Luther Burden III on the program. He pointed out that Burden chose Missouri over other big-time school before Missouri had broken free from its six-win status. Burden came to Missouri to create his own brand and stayed in state to do so. When preparation and talent are combined, you have a special player, and that’s Burden, Drinkwitz explained.

+ Drinkwitz was asked about the trio of Cook-Schrader-Burden and the effect they’ve had on the program. He said the coolest thing about all three is that they don’t care who gets the credit. “They just want to win,” Drinkwitz said. He said there wasn’t the drama, just the will to win.

+ Drinkwitz was asked what he’d change about the recruiting calendar. He said there’s going to have to be a reset in college football. He doesn’t have a simple answer, and he said you can’t just move signing day. He said, so far, the unintended consequences about two transfer portal periods haven’t been thought out.

+ Drinkwitz talked about relinquishing play-calling duties after last season. His goal was to focus on making a more connected team. He wanted to be able to give his time to other areas of the program. “It really just came to down to me living my integrity and not just talking about it,” Drinkwitz said.

+ Drinkwitz said “when you get to the top, the wind’s twice as strong,” when discussing Day’s coaching pedigree. Drinkwitz was effusive in talking about Day and Ohio State, mentioning that it’s incredible how Day and his team are consistently in the New Year’s Six and the CFP. Drinkwitz said Ohio State is similar to teams you see in the SEC, starting with how the Buckeyes are built through the trenches.

+ Drinkwitz said that as soon as they found out Brown was starting at QB for Ohio State, they pulled all of his tape and jokingly said it was a “mistake” because that uncovered just how much Brown can do. Missouri will have to be “reactive” in defending Brown. Drinkwitz quipped that he hoped Brown would have given him a speaker, too, referencing Brown giving all of his teammates JBL speakers for Christmas.