7-0 and still cruising, Ohio State is comfortably sitting atop the college football landscape. And they appear to be unstoppable, racing past anyone between them and championship glory. But behind all this lies meticulous planning and game management. It’s a philosophy that Ryan Day has inherited from his predecessor, Urban Meyer. The Philosophy of never giving up and staying hungry for success without being satisfied. As Meyer famously said, “Every coach’s dream is to coach a hungry, pissed-off team. Every coach’s nightmare is to coach a satisfied team. It’s awful.” It was the subject of discussion as Ryan Day appeared on the Big Noon Kickoff.

Meyers questioned Day about the conversations they had during their time together. On how to ensure that the players stay sharp while being healthy. Ryan Day said, “Yeah, I mean, I learned so much of it from you. And just talking about that balance of how do you keep your edge. But how do you get your guys healthy for the stretch run? And that’s really what we talk a lot about with Mick Marotti, and you know, try to figure out what’s right for our guys. I think a couple of things come into play. One, you’ve got to keep your guys who are the starters with an edge. So you’ve got to use good on good, you’ve got to make sure that the guys are staying locked in.” This shows the amount of planning and careful consideration Day puts into keeping his players ready.

It also shows how he learned from Meyer’s style of coaching, added a few things, and made it his own. The good on good strategy is the practice of putting your best player against strong opposition, helping them to evolve their game even further. Meanwhile, the coaching staff rotates the roster against weaker opponents to manage their overall workload. It also helps when Ohio State’s entire roster has exceptional depth and talent.

Day continued, “Also, the other thing is that some of the younger guys and the guys who we need to play. The depth guys, who need to help us during this run here over the next couple of months, got to get in there and practice. So while we’re out there, it’s not the same for everybody, but everybody has the same edge, and everybody knows what’s coming.”

An example of the talent in the roster can be seen by looking at true freshman Bo Jackson. He leads the pack of running backs with an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Similarly, five-star true freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez, the No. 1 cornerback recruit in the 2025 class. He has earned consistent rotation snaps alongside senior Davison Igbinosun, developing while learning from the best. This strategy has ensured that Day has a pipeline of up-and-coming talent to replace his starters over time and during less important contests.

Maintaining depth and nurturing the next roster for next season is an essential part of building championship-winning programs. Although they are on a historic run, some teams may still pose a threat to their dream season. But for now, after their bye week, the Buckeyes will face a struggling Penn State in their next assignment. Let’s take a look at the upcoming Big Ten matchup.

Buckeyes Look to Maintain Unbeaten Run Against Struggling Nittany Lions

Ohio State enters week 10 rested and ready to dominate. Meanwhile, Penn State comes on the back of losing their coach and 4 consecutive defeats. Ohio QB Julian Sayin is having one hell of a season and is in the race for the Heisman Trophy. Sayin has completed 80.0% of his passes for 1,872 yards, 19 TDs, and just 3 interceptions. Sophomore superstar Jeremiah Smith leads the nation with 602 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns on 49 receptions.

Penn State faces an uphill battle entering the match. The Nittany Lions arrive at 3-4 overall and 0-4 in Big Ten play. They seem clueless after firing longtime coach James Franklin, as interim coach Terry Smith is struggling to get the program under control. Penn State’s quarterback situation is in shambles as freshman Ethan Grunkemeyer is taking over after starter Drew Allar is out for the season with an injury. Through his first three starts, Grunkemeyer has completed just 59.0% of his passes for 198 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Las Vegas Oddsmakers have Ohio State as a 17.5-point favorite.

The Buckeyes have won the last 8 games against Penn State. The total is projected at 50.5 points, suggesting Vegas expects defensive dominance from Ohio State to prevent a high-scoring affair. Ryan Day’s philosophy of maintaining a competitive edge while managing depth players will face another test against a Penn State squad desperate for any sign of momentum.​