Ryan Day Cognizant of the Challenge Oregon Presents

Day says his team is going to rely heavily on fan support to make Ohio Stadium a real test for the Ducks.

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Sep 9, 2021 11:58 AM EDT

Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes know they have a tall task in front of them on Saturday afternoon.

The Buckeyes got off to a good start in Week 1 with a nice offensive performance in the second half, but it was a far from perfect game. The defense played well at times, but they also allowed Minnesota to score four touchdowns in the 45-31 win.

This weekend, the Buckeyes have a tenacious, athletic Oregon team coming to Columbus that would like nothing more than to squash their hopes of an undefeated season.

Ryan Day was very complimentary this week of the quality of Oregon's team, especially given the personality of their coaching staff.

“I think coach (Mario) Cristobal is somebody who has a background in line play. He brings a style of toughness to the table. They have embodied that. They have recruited very well. They are very athletic. This is a very very good team coming in here with a lot of good players. It is a major challenge.

“We are going to have to play and keep up with them speed-wise. They will be strong in the middle. We will need to be strong in the middle. They have power and strength and toughness. But they also have speed and athleticism.”

Day said the Buckeyes are going to lean heavily on their home fans this week.

“When you look at this game, it’s the first time there will be a game in the Horseshoe in over 600 days. We need Buckeye Nation in this game. This is a very very big game for our program. We need them to be loud, especially on third down. We need them to be loud when they have the ball.

“I think the last game we played here was when Penn State played here (in 2019). That is as loud as I’ve heard it. We need that same type of environment here. It’s got to be an advantage for us. They’re communicating. If we can force them into a silent count, that’s an advantage for us. The louder and more we can feel this crowd, the better we’re going to play.

“Obviously, this past year there has been a lot going on and a lot of dynamics at play. To have – if not 100,000 people, over 100,000 people – at a game like this says a lot about Buckeye Nation. There will be so many people dying to get into that ‘Shoe. To see the band and see us run out of that tunnel and cheer on the Buckeyes and be together for a weekend, that’s something people have missed around here. I know there are a lot of people looking forward to it.”

Check out Ryan Day's entire press conference below.

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