Ryan Day Speaks One Last Time Before First Round of CFP

Photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with the media on Dec. 18 for one final press conference before the No. 6 Buckeyes (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten Conference) take on the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) on Dec. 21. One of the main messages was a repeated phrase from his Dec. 16 press conference: "Maximizing our strengths and minimizing our deficiencies."

Ryan Day on Buckeyes' Offensive Line

Day was quickly asked for more clarification on the offensive line personnel. At the Dec. 17 open practice, sophomore Luke Montgomery lined up at left guard and Tegra Tshabola was set at right guard with the first-team offense. However, Day said they aren't quite set on who the starters will be when they take the field on Dec. 21.

He did say Austin Siereveld will rotate in at either guard spot. Day called Siereveld "the swing man" at the position, given that he has played both spots this year. He does seem confident in the new plan for the line as of now with the three weeks of preparation. "They've had a good week of practice and their confidence is building," he said. It will be interesting to see how the rotation plays out against the Volunteers.

Day on Defending Tennessee's Offense

Day touched on the difficulty of defending the Volunteers' offense once again. He spent a decent amount of time talking about starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. "He's got a strong arm, which is critical with their offense and how they want to push the ball to the sideline," Day said.

He pointed out how difficult those throws out to the perimeter are with the wide distance between the hashmarks in college football. Day also once again gave Iamaleava credit for his scrambling ability. "He can get the ball out quickly, make good decisions, but he's also athletic," he said. Day went on to explain that the defense will need a good plan for when he does scramble. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles also said they need to be aware of his threat with his legs when he spoke on Dec. 16. The entire staff seems to be on the same page when it comes to keeping Iamaleava from extending plays and picking up rushing yards himself.

Day also talked about the importance of his players tackling well. He called Tennessee star running back Dylan Sampson "an excellent player." Nearly everyone who has spoken from the team this week has mentioned Sampson and their need to contain him. Day also generally spoke on how their offense makes defenders play in space. When asked about his cornerbacks in that extra area to defend, he said, "They're also going to have tackle very, very well in space." The Ohio State defensive backs have tackled extremely well this season and have contained teams' screen plays. However, they will face those at a much higher rate against the Tennessee offense.

Preparing for Big Games

The Buckeyes have played in three separate top-5 matchups this season, winning two of them. Day seemed very confident and sure of his team's ability to rise to the occasion in big-time games. When asked about his message to QB Will Howard, Day said he gives the same message to his players for games like this one. "Focus on going as hard as you possibly can and giving everything you possibly have," Day said.

He stressed how vital it is for each player to show up for every down and not only focus their energy on trying to make those splash, game-changing plays. "Every play matters in big games," he said. "You just never know when that play could be." The message was that those plays will come to you and present themselves if players are putting in the effort.

Day also spoke about the added factor of having a night game. The last evening kickoff that the Buckeyes played was at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 7 against Western Michigan (6-7, 5-3 Mid-American Conference). They will finally have another chance to play in that environment on Dec. 21 but on a much bigger stage. Day talked about the little changes that the team was making to their schedule this week to be sure they're well-adjusted for the later kickoff. He said that they have been letting players sleep in later and that they had moved their practices outside and further back to 4:00 p.m. EST. The team is taking numerous extra steps to prepare for Saturday.

Day and the Buckeyes will finally end their wait and play the Volunteers at 8:00 p.m. EST on Dec. 21.