Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action, charged up to face Marshall after a well-deserved bye week. So far, so good for Ryan Day’s man as they outscored their two opponents 108-6, including a shutout against Western Michigan in Week 2. Despite that, the team declined from No. 2 to No. 3 in the rankings. Ahead of their final non-conference game before daunting Big Ten fixtures, Ryan Day reflected on how some key players have been on a ‘mission’ this year. What could the ‘mission’ be? We’ll get into that as well.  

Ahead of Saturday’s game, Ryan Day was asked about the key veterans in his team who have been the quality and stand-up guys. He said, “They just, they’re so bought in, I can’t say enough about the guys on this team. Now. I love them to death. I do. They, decided that they wanted to come back and they put so much into this and they want it really bad. And they’re just bought in, and they’re challenging each other. They’re taking hard coaching, they’re pushing each other. And so it’s our job as coaches and we, we, we have to do everything we can. And that’s again, I say this all the time, like that’s what I don’t have a hard time waking up in the morning because I know what these guys have put into this program.”

These key veterans include Emeka Egbuka and Will Howard, who have been critical to Ohio’s offense so far. They have been ably assisted by newbies like Jeremiah Smith, who has entered the college football world with a bang! Ultimately, experience matters! Ryan Day realizes that, and for that reason, he was pleased when Egbuka returned for another year. Moreover, Day also secured Howard’s services after the latter transferred from Kansas State.

For Ohio State, the mission is clear: take control of Marshall, adjust it to their advantage, and head to conference games with momentum. Ultimately, there is a bigger challenge awaiting the Buckeyes on November 30 against Sherrone Moore’s men. The Wolverines may be struggling so far, but they are the current national champions for a reason. A Rose Bowl appearance may become a distant dream for the Buckeyes if they can’t roll over Michigan. However, for now, the focus is on the Week 4 matchup. 

Looking at the Game 4 matchup for Ryan Day’s team

Marshall is coming into their game against the Buckeyes with a 1-1 record- a decent victory over Stony Brook and a loss to Virginia Tech. Fourth-year head coach Charles Huff calls it a great opportunity at the national level. Though he knows the difficulty level, he thinks his side is mature enough to compete against some of the best teams like Ohio State. “Our guys fully understand the mission. They fully understand the size of the challenge,” Huff noted.

Naturally, the Buckeyes are the favorites. However, as Georgia realized during Week 3, college football is full of surprises. In a game of 60 minutes, it just takes a series of mistakes, a three-and-out or a turnover, or a mad play, for even a strong team to be chasing the game.

Day and his coaching staff looked at other teams to find moments to teach the Buckeyes. Speaking of which, Day stated, “When we can find these teachable moments, we try to do that just to bring awareness to everybody. And sometimes it’s the coaches, sometimes it’s the staff, just to make them think, ‘What are we going to do in these types of situations, and then how are we going to respond?” It remains about preparedness, especially for this upcoming game against Marshall.

The Buckeye’s offense is red hot, with Will Howard passing to the tune of 292 yards against Western Michigan and Judkins churning out 108 yards on the ground. The defense has also been holding a very good show as they let in only six points in the first two games. Marshall may not be especially formidable, but the Buckeyes must not ease off. 

You can listen to the Think Tank podcast with Doug Sanders to get more in-depth insights.