The wait is finally over. After 365 days of living with last year’s loss, after a season’s worth of preparation and focus, Ryan Day and his undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes are back at Michigan week. The Buckeyes’ head coach met with the media on Tuesday to preview Saturday’s showdown in Ann Arbor. And if there was any doubt about his mindset, Day made it crystal clear. This isn’t about dwelling on the past four losses to the Wolverines. It’s about winning. From injury updates on key receivers to his expectations for quarterback Julian Sayin to his blunt assessment of what “fun” means this week, Day covered it all in a press conference that felt equal parts measured and determined. Here’s everything he said.​

On the receivers, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate’s status

“They’re doing everything they can to play in the game. We’ll see how today goes, but they’re working really, really hard to get back on the field,” Day said. He added that the medical staff will handle their availability, but both players will get “mental and physical” reps throughout the week.​ 

On cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr.

“Lorenzo is somebody who has played a lot of football. When he made the transition from wide receiver to defense, started corner and then moved into nickel. He’s a guy who is a student of the game. Works hard and has a great mindset, lives a life of discipline. And you’re seeing him play his best football now. And when he is out there, he makes an impact on our defense, communicates well, covers well, can tackle,” Day said. Further adding that Styles Jr. “practised today, but I don’t have an update now.”

He expressed confidence in their depth if Styles cannot play, noting that they’ve had to finish games without him before and put the right people in position to get the job done.

On Chip Kelly potentially returning to Ohio State

When asked about the possibility of Chip Kelly returning to Ohio State after being fired by the Las Vegas Raiders, Day shut it down quickly. “I would say I’m not thinking about that right now. Just too much going on. I do think right now we have great chemistry, but we gotta be on our game as a coaching staff this week. We have got to be clean. We have gotta be great with our meetings, great on the field, allow all the guys to play really, really fast. All of that has been working up to this moment here. So, that’s not something that I thought about. Right now, we are going to stick with what we have got.”

On lessons from last year’s loss

“Every season is different, and every team is different. What’s happened in the past doesn’t matter either. Let’s just have a great Tuesday and prepare the best we can to go win this game on Saturday. And that’s where the focus has to be, and we can’t let anything else distract us,” Day said. He emphasized keeping the team locked in on the present rather than dwelling on previous results.

On playing with emotion

Ryan Day offered perhaps his most quotable line of the day: “You have to play with emotion, but you can’t let it play with you.”

On Michigan as an opponent

“Talent all over the field, starts with quarterback, he’s a dangerous player,” Ryan Day said of the Wolverines. He praised their defense, noting they have two of the best pass-rushers in the country. “What you’d expect from this type of team, talent in all three phases and well-coached.”​

On what he’s looking for from Julian Sayin

“To continue to do what he’s done and lead the team to a victory. That’s it at the end of the day,” Day said. “What does that look like? It depends on how the game plays out. But he’s got to do his job, make great decisions, and ultimately be the guy that leads his team to victory. That’s the No. 1 goal. The rest of it is gravy.”

He added that Sayin has shown composure this year but needs to be at his best in this environment. When asked about his expectations now that Sayin is more developed, Day simplified it: “Just win. That’s it. Just lead the team to victory, whatever that looks like.”​

On whether coaching at Ohio State is fun this week

When asked if coaching at Ohio State is fun during Michigan week, Day didn’t hesitate: “Fun is kicking a–. That is what we want to do on Saturday. We’re preparing to do that, and that’s it. The fun part is winning. We’ll save the fun for being in the locker room and celebrating after The Game.”

On the growth of receivers behind Smith and Tate

Ryan Day noted the opportunities the younger receivers have gotten and framed it as the ultimate test. “This is where you get tested. This is what coaching’s all about.”

On tight end Will Kacmarek

“Will’s doing great; he’s excited about this week,” Day said. “I think we’ve built some depth there. It’s given us some more versatility in what we do.”​

On the difference in preparation for Michigan

“You have to know your opponent, you have to know what comes with it. But we’re not going to overdo it.”

On the main challenge in this rivalry.

“It’s about making sure that you’re keeping everyone focused and locked in on doing their job. This game means a lot to a lot of people. Nobody more than the people in this building. All the foundation’s been set. It’s time to go put it to work.”

On the paranoia of Michigan week

“This week, what you try to do is you try to bring everybody a little bit closer, a little bit tighter.”

On what he’s learned since his first Michigan game

“Each year is a different story when you start it from beginning to end,” Ryan Day said. “Clearly, the last four years hasn’t been good enough. You have to be critical and figure out what has to be better.” He returned to his central theme: “What has happened in the past has nothing to do with what’s going on right now. That has to be it.”

On the long wait for this week

“We’ve been waiting a long time to get back to this week.”

On Brandon Inniss saying Ryan Day has a “different look in his eye”

“We’re all a sum of our experiences. You learn from things, and you grow from things, and you try to do everything you can, again, to put your guys in a situation to be successful. That’s it,” Day said. “We’re gonna rely on our experiences going into this week. We all grow. We do things well. We have our failures, but you got to grow from them. That’s it. This team right here is a different team. They have a great look in their eye. That’s the most important thing here. That’s the focus.”

On trusting Bo Jackson

“We need Bo to be at his best. These are the types of games where legends are born. These guys understand that.”

On guard Josh Padilla

Day said they’ll see how practice goes this week regarding Padilla’s availability.

On confidence in Sayin playing out of script

“Julian’s going to do a great job preparing this week,” Day said. He also said that Sayin has done really well with out-of-the-books play this year.

Saturday’s game in Ann Arbor is arguably the most defining moment of Ryan Day’s coaching career at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 11-0 and sitting at No. 1 in the country. But none of that will matter if they can’t snap this four-game losing streak to Michigan. After years of waiting, Day and the Buckeyes finally have their chance to flip the script on this rivalry. And there won’t be any excuses if they don’t get it done.​