Ohio State coach Ryan Day made one thing clear Tuesday: if the No. 4 Buckeyes are going to leave Bloomington with a win on Saturday, it starts with the line of scrimmage.
Ahead of the top-five showdown with No. 5 Indiana, Day pointed to the battle up front as the centerpiece of the game. He also had plenty to say about Indiana’s passing game, the challenge of playing on the road, and the possibility that Ohio State could be getting key bodies back at the right time.
“I don't think we'll get all of them back,” Day said Tuesday. “But we should get a good portion of them back for Indiana.”
Day had said on Monday’s Buckeye Roundtable Show that several of the five or six starters who missed last week’s win over Maryland are expected to return, though not all of them will be available. Offensive lineman Austin Siereveld, who sat out with an unspecified illness, is still day-to-day. Receivers Brendan Inniss and Devin McCuin, linebacker Christian Alliegro, and offensive linemen Phillip Daniels and Leroy Roker III could all be back.
That potential boost would matter, because Day didn’t downplay what awaits Ohio State against Indiana’s front.
“It's going to be a huge challenge. They do an excellent job up front on defense,” Day said. “Their defensive line is one of the biggest challenges we'll have all season.”
He doubled down on the importance of winning in the trenches when he described how he sees the game unfolding.
“Everything is going to start up front in this game,” Day said.
Day also made it clear that last season’s loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game is not something he wants hanging over this week. The Buckeyes struggled on third down and in the red zone in that matchup, and Day said those are the kinds of details Ohio State can learn from without carrying the result into Saturday.
“Nothing that happened in the past has anything to do with this weekend,” Day said. “We can learn from the past, so some of those guys that played in that game can learn from all the reasons why we came up short, and that's good.
That's fine. But the focus has to be on right now, and that's it.”
Indiana’s offense drew major praise from Day, especially quarterback Josh Hoover and wideouts Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh. Hoover, in Day’s view, has been asked to operate in a system built to protect the football.
“He's playing really efficient. They're doing a good job of putting him in the system that takes care of the ball,” Day said. “You have to give a lot of credit to their scheme.”
As for Becker and Marsh, Day highlighted their polish and playmaking ability.
“These guys in particular are very clean route runners,” Day said. “They're really strong on contact, have really good body control, have run-after-the-catch ability.
“Certainly, Becker has made some big-time plays in big-time moments, and Marsh is playing as good as anybody right now. This is a huge challenge for our secondary.”
Marsh comes into the game off his best showing as a Hoosier, piling up six catches for 187 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns against Nebraska. Along with Becker, he gives Indiana a pair of downfield targets who can flip a game in a hurry.
Ohio State has already faced road tests at Texas and Iowa this season, and Day expects Memorial Stadium to be another tough place to play.
“It's going to be loud,” Day said. “So we've got to be able to handle the silent cadence.”
Indiana hasn’t lost a home game under Curt Cignetti, and with a top-five matchup on deck, Bloomington is set for one of its biggest atmospheres yet.
Still, Day’s sharpest message was about attention to detail over the full 60 minutes.
“You have to stay focused for 60 minutes,” Day said. “You take a play off, and these guys will hurt you. We can't do that.”
Indiana’s comeback at Nebraska was a reminder of exactly what he means. The Hoosiers trailed by double digits in the fourth quarter before rallying for a 20-17 win.
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