After having its first off week, Ohio State is back in game mode for its final non-conference game on Saturday against Marshall.
The Buckeyes are close to a 40-point favorite, so oddsmakers expect Ohio State to roll over the Thundering Herd the way it did in outscoring Akron and Western Michigan by a combined score of 108-6.
OSU coach Ryan Day is determined to fend off complacency and repeatedly said at Tuesday’s press conference that while he’s happy with his team’s performance, the real tests have yet to come.
“We had an ‘Improvement Week,’ and had three hard, physical days out there and then got a chance to step away for a couple of days,” Day said. “The idea was to get better, and I think we did do that last week.”
Day, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterback Will Howard spoke to reporters Tuesday. Here are the highlights from what they said:
Ryan Day said he respects Marshall’s program
Like Ohio State, the Thundering Herd were off last week. They lost to Virginia Tech 31-14 after beating Stony Brook 45-3 in their opener.
More: Big Ten Power Rankings: Ohio State, USC, Penn State remain 1-2-3 after getting week off
Day said he has much respect for Marshall coach Charles Huff, a former running backs coach at Alabama and Penn State.
“He gets his guys to play hard,” Day said. “They’re athletic. They’ve got a big front on the defensive side.”
On offense, Marshall has switched to an Air Raid scheme but has had more success in the run game. The Thundering Herd is averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Quarterback Stone Earle has struggled in the passing game. He has completed only 44.2% of his passes.
“You know they’re going to come in here and play open and free,” Day said. “We’ll have a great environment so they’re going to be jacked up for that.”
Donovan Jackson to make his 2024 debut
Left guard Donovan Jackson was held out of Ohio State’s first two games with an unspecified injury, but Day said he will play Saturday.
More: Numbers don’t lie: Here’s how Ohio State football last won it all in 2014
“He’s ready to go,” Day said.
A two-time first-team All-Big Ten lineman, Jackson is Ohio State’s best blocker.
“I just think this solidifies everything up front,” Day said.
In the first two games, none of the three interior linemen – left guard Austin Siereveld, center Seth McLaughlin and right guard Tegra Tshabola – had started a game for Ohio State entering the season. McLaughlin, a grad transfer, was a multi-year starter at Alabama.
“Seth has done a very, very good job of communicating across the board,” Day said. “He brings a certain level of experience and stability in there with the communication. Now you add Donovan into it, and there are two guys with a lot of experience.
“They’re very sharp. I think overall, everyone’s going to be on the same page even more.”
Tegra Tshabola has officially won the right guard spot
Tshabola started the first two games, so there wasn’t much mystery about it, but Day hadn’t officially said he’d won the job until Tuesday.
“He is the starter, and he’s played good football,” Day said.
Day said Siereveld’s performance merits him playing time, so he could be inserted if Tshabola, a natural tackle, struggles or if coaches want to give him a breather.
“We’re going to try to find ways to get Austin in the game because we feel he’s earned that opportunity,” Day said. “How it shakes out, we’ll see. But right now, Tegra is the starting right guard.”
Will Howard is already feeling at home
Howard has only played two games for Ohio State after spending four years at Kansas State, but he said he already feels at ease playing in the Horseshoe.
“It feels right,” Howard said. “It feels like home. I know I said the first game felt a little bit like an away game, but I’m settled in now. I get the routine. I get what game week looks like.”
Howard has looked in command of the offense and clearly enjoys playing with the wealth of talent surrounding him.
“I only have one year here,” he said. “I’m going to appreciate every moment I have out on that field playing in front of these fans. It’s a blessing. I’m trying to take it one day at a time and not let any moment pass me by because it’s a pretty cool opportunity I have and we have as a team this year.”
Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 4 takeaways from Ohio State’s press conference Tuesday
