Day: OSU welcoming buzz, requires to obstruct ‘noise’

• Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff WriterJul 23, 2024, 01:54 PM ET

  Close

  Jake Trotter covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2011 covering college football. Before that, he worked at The Oklahoman, Austin American-Statesman and Middletown (Ohio) Journal papers. You can follow him on Twitter @Jake_Trotter.

INDIANAPOLIS– Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that his talented group is accepting all the expectations and pressure heading into a pivotal season. But Day added that skill alone will not deliver the Buckeyes their first championship game in a decade.

“All of us know there’s a great deal of noise and a great deal of buzz around this group,” Day said during Big 10 media days. “And what we can’t do is let those diversions grab our focus from what we need to do day in and day out. We know it’s going to be a long season. … However we’re very, extremely thrilled about our guys. We have fantastic experience because locker space and some excellent talent, but it’s going to take more than skill.”

Ohio State has actually gone 56-8 with Day as head coach. The Buckeyes, nevertheless, have likewise lost 3 straight games to competing Michigan and have not won the Huge 10 conference title considering that 2020. Off a 30-24 triumph over the Buckeyes last season, the Wolverines went on to win the national championship, and Ohio State missed out on the playoff.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated”Anytime

you’re at Ohio State, we know you’re going to have expectations. There’s constantly going to be chatter. There’s always going to be sound,”Day stated.” It’s our job to obstruct all those things out and just focus on what really matters. … Our guys, they understand what the expectation is. … We’re not going to avoid that. We wish to win the competition game [Michigan]. win this Big 10 championship, win a championship game.”The Buckeyes enter this season as the favorite to win the Huge 10 and return to the playoff. Ohio State is loaded with preseason All-Americans, including wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, protective lineman Tyleik Williams, running back Quinshon Judkins and safety Caleb Downs, the ruling SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year, who transferred from Alabama to Ohio State during the offseason.” Every time I have actually entered into a season in Ohio State … you anticipate to win every game,”Day stated.”That’s just what it is. And if you don’t believe that holds true, try losing a game at Ohio State. You’re expected to win them all. So that’s not new. We welcome it.”