Quick hitters from Ryan Day's Week 3 press conference

COLUMBUS — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with the media Tuesday to review the 35-7 win over Youngstown State and answer question about what’s to come Week 3 against Western Kentucky.

Lettermen Row has a rundown of what Day said.

What Ryan Day said Tuesday…

• Day said that Ohio State has to be better in third-and-short situations. Third-and-medium and third-and-short, you have to keep drives going, Day said.

• Day, when asked about the quarterback situation, said that Kyle McCord is going to be the starter. “We’re going to go ahead and make that distinction,” Day said. Day noted that they still plan to play Devin Brown this season but didn’t go into specific details about what that would look like. McCord is QB1 for Ohio State, though.

• Day said, when watching back the tape, he felt like the offensive line performed well in pass protection. He noted that group needs to clean up mistakes, notably the penalties that they had against Youngstown State.

• When asked about the clock rule, Day said that this week against Western Kentucky will be a different challenge. WKU is tied for third nationally with 44 pass attempts per game, so the Hilltoppers won’t run on Ohio State like Indiana and Youngstown State did. Day was later asked about how the clock rule affects his play calling. He said efficiency is paramount. Early in the season, they are trying to get as many plays as they can. That will change as the season wears on.

• Day, when asked about zone vs. gap scheme, said some guys on the offensive line are built more for gap schemes (bigger guys) and some guys are built for zone schemes (athletic guys). Day believes his group has the size and athleticism to do both, if they’re fitting correctly. Day was asked a follow up about running the ball up the middle — he emphasized that pounding the rock inside the tackle will be critical, and it’s good to work on early in the season.

• When asked about third down, Day said the quarterback is judged on that play. But the quarterback also needs to be helped out on third-and-short and third-and-medium when you’re trying to move the chains on the ground.

• When asked about the defensive ends and their lack of production (no sacks through two games), Day said WKU game could be different, considering how much the Hilltoppers throw the ball. “This is a good challenge for us,” Day said. He believes they’ll be able to measure where they’re at after this week.

• Day, when asked about how the distinction of McCord as QB1 changes things, said that it gives McCord “peace of mind.” “I think it’s good for the team to know that Kyle’s the starter,” Day added. McCord will now get more first-team reps, Day said.

• Day, when asked about seeing that running back TreVeyon Henderson had only five carries against Youngstown State: “I would love to see him get more touches. Then again, when I looked at everybody, I wish they had more.”

• Day, when asked if he saw the improvement he wanted to see with the running game, against Youngstown State, he said “no.” Day said he isn’t really content with where the Buckeyes are at in all facets right now, though. He and the staff are striving for more right now.

• When asked about the timing of the quarterback decision, Day said that after the game there was an overall poise and consistency that led him and the staff to believe McCord is the guy right now.

• Day, when asked about his team’s vocal leaders: “I think Tommy [Eichenberg] does have a pretty strong voice on the field. … I think Mike Hall, you feel him on the field. I think TreVeyon Henderson has done a great job. … It’s there.”

• When asked about it, Day said he got feedback that running back Chip Trayanum shouldn’t have actually been called for holding, a penalty that called back a Miyan Williams touchdown late in last weekend’s blowout.

• Day, asked again about McCord — who he acknowledged he isn’t the most outwardly emotional player — said that the junior was excited about the QB1 distinction. It was more of a confirmation of the work he’s put in, Day said.