Quick hitters from Ryan Day Michigan Week press conference

COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with the media Tuesday to preview the No. 2 Buckeyes’ highly-anticipated, top-three showdown at No. 3 Michigan.

The Buckeyes are hoping to snap their two-game losing streak in the series.

Lettermen Row has the rundown of what Day said.

What Ryan Day said Tuesday…

+ Day was asked about his players keeping their emotions in check. “You have to play with emotion, but you can’t let emotion play with you,” Day said. He added: “We all know the magnitude of it all. But it’s something that we identified this offseason.”

+ Day was asked about the recruitment of quarterbacks Kyle McCord and J.J. McCarthy, and how he can prevent McCord from trying to prove the Buckeyes’ staff right Saturday. “We’ve been preparing for this moment all year, and now we just need to continue on the routines we’ve been on,” Day said. “We’ll do the same for Kyle.”

+ Day said “you learn quickly when you’re here” about the significance of the rivalry. “I think all of our guys when they come — whether they’re a player or a coach — come here for one reason, and that’s to win that game.”

+ Day was asked about recruiting quarterbacks, and he said so many things go into it — the evaluation is different for every prospect. There’s not one thing, aside from competitiveness, which is always high on the list. Day said “J.J. was always great” and “was always respectful.” During the recruiting cycle, you spend time with different people, and he said all of his interactions with McCarthy and his family were very classy.

+ Day said the only thing that matters is this game and preparing for it. He again said they can’t let emotion get in the way. They aren’t going to let any distractions get in the way, Day emphasized.

+ Day was asked about McCord’s big-game experience. “He’s a very smart player who understands situations,” Day said. He pointed out that when you’ve been through situations like that, you have something to grab onto.

+ “I was taught the way you respect a rivalry is that you work it every day,” Day said. “We respect the rivalry and are certainly excited to play on Saturday.”

+ Day was asked about his team being “road warriors.” “It’s all in preparation for the last game of the year,” Day said. He noted that his team has a reference point for this hostile environment they’ll see in Michigan Stadium this weekend. Most notably, the Buckeyes played a Week 4 night game at Notre Dame, which they won, 17-14, in thrilling fashion.

+ Day said the rushing attack “is extremely important.” That’s “high on the list,” according to Day.

+ Day was asked about Michigan’s red zone defense. “Every yard is worth two or three down there,” Day said. You have to be efficient and operate in a smaller area, he mentioned.

+ Day was asked if he respects Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan staff. Day said that, with everything that’s going on and all the distractions, they’ve just stayed focus on preparation for The Game.

+ Day was asked about how he picks and chooses his spots to show emotion. “You have to know your team and what’s going on each week,” Day said. But “you have to keep your emotions in check, and that starts from the head down.”

+ Day said you’re seeing improvement every week from the offensive line. “Their confidence has been as high as it’s been all season,” Day said.

+ Day said he thinks they’ve learned a lot about this Ohio State team. They’ve been down in games and have had to claw their way back. He believes they have a good sense of who they are and their identity. “This has been a great group to build with and a great group to coach,” Day said.

+ Day was asked how different this week feels now vs. when he started at Ohio State. “We take every year as it is and go from there. There’s guys with scars, and I’m one of them. It just drives you every day.”