Ryan Day spent part of this week trying to keep Ohio State’s preseason optimism in check.
Yes, he sees the Buckeyes making progress. He likes the depth up front on the offensive line.
He thinks the receiver room is stronger than it was a year ago. But when asked how satisfied he actually is with where things stand, Day didn’t exactly lean into the praise.
“I'm not happy about it at all. Let me change my total tune if that's what you got out of this. I'm pissed off about everybody."
That was the clearest sign that, for all the encouraging signs in fall camp, Day still believes Ohio State has a long way to go before it’s ready.
He said the Buckeyes are still “nowhere near where we need to be.”
A few key jobs remain unsettled. On the offensive line, the staff has not locked in its starting five. The group currently trending includes Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman and Austin Siereveld inside, with Ian Moore and Phillip Daniels at tackle, but Day said the staff is still sorting it out.
The backup quarterback spot behind Julian Sayin is also open. Day said the battle will keep going through the week, and Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey could even get first-team reps as part of that evaluation.
Even with the depth he’s mentioned along the defensive line, Day said Ohio State still wants players to “emerge as starters.”
One of his biggest concerns right now is discipline. After too many penalties in the Buckeyes’ scrimmage, Day made it clear that cleanup has to happen fast.
“I think we have a chance to be a smart team, but we have to be a disciplined team,” Day said. “And the first step to being a championship team is to not beat yourself.”
That matters even more with what he described as a “monstrous” schedule. Ohio State’s road ahead includes Week 2 at Texas, trips to Indiana and USC, and home games against Oregon and Michigan.
“We cannot beat ourselves early in the season,” Day said. “So we are going to be all over that part of it. There’s a lot of areas that we gotta improve in fast.”
Day also pointed to the challenge of blending in 51 new players. He said the coaching staff has had plenty to manage as the roster comes together.
“We have 51 new guys,” Day said. “So there’s a lot of unknown … we know what’s coming here, and there’s gonna be storms along the way. But I think our guys have the right attitude.”
At the same time, he praised the veterans and the seven captains for helping bring the newcomers into the program’s culture, tradition and Buckeye standard.
For all the blunt talk, Day’s message wasn’t that Ohio State is stuck. It’s that camp has shown progress, but not enough to relax. Ball State in Week 1 will be the first real chance to see how much the Buckeyes have actually cleaned up before the schedule gets serious.
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Ohio State May Have Found Jeremiah Smiths Most Dangerous New Running Mate
Ohio States preseason buzz is starting to settle around a familiar question: who lines up opposite Jeremiah Smith and gives the Buckeyes a truly dangerous second option at receiver? Eleven Warriors ranking of the programs top 20 players for 2026 points to Devin McCuin as the likeliest answer, and the UTSA transfer arrives with the kind of speed and production that makes that projection easy to understand. Over three seasons with the Roadrunners, McCuin caught 152 passes for 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns, numbers that show a receiver who has already done plenty of damage before setting foot in Columbus.
What has stood out around the program is not just the rsum, but the way McCuin has been described by Ohio States coaching staff and teammates. The Buckeyes have praised his physicality, football IQ and ability to make plays, traits that can matter just as much as raw burst in an offense trying to keep defenses from tilting everything toward Smith. If McCuin settles in the way the staff believes he can, Ohio State may end up with a much more balanced passing attack than opponents would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Quarterback Problem Behind Julian Sayin
Julian Sayin is set to open the season as Ohio States starter, but the Buckeyes still have a real question to answer behind him. Ryan Day said the backup quarterback job remains up for grabs, with freshman Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair continuing to compete for the No. 2 spot as camp and the early portion of the schedule help sort things out.
Days plan is to let both young quarterbacks get on the field early so the staff can see how they handle game speed before making a call. For Ohio State, it is the kind of depth chart decision that can feel routine in August and suddenly carry real weight if the starter ever has to miss time, which is why the Buckeyes are taking their time with it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey Is Starting To Look Worth The Hype
Legend Beys first months in Columbus have already followed a familiar Ohio State pattern for highly touted newcomers: a little adversity, a lot of attention, and then the quiet milestone that signals a freshman is becoming one of the guys. The Buckeyes removed Beys black stripe, a ceremonial but meaningful step that marks a players cultural integration into the program, and it comes after a stretch in which he had to navigate missed practice time because of injury along with a suspension.
For a member of Ohio States 2026 recruiting class, the early buzz has been easy to understand. Ryan Day has described Bey as a dynamic player with significant upside, and his path to Columbus only adds to the intrigue after a complicated recruitment that included a flip from Tennessee and a release from his original commitment before he signed with the Buckeyes. Even with some of the usual freshman bumps, Bey is already starting to look like the kind of talent that can justify the hype. [Read more 🡒]