'Let It Rip!' Ryan Day Reveals Buckeyes Game Plan vs. Notre Dame

The Buckeyes must play a certian brand of football to defeat the unbeaten Irish in South Bend.

Big matchups call for must-see plays. That's what Ohio State plans to do on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium against the Fighting Irish. 

The No. 6 Buckeyes (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will have a chance to silence the critics when facing the No. 9 Irish (4-0) for a matchup that could have College Football Playoff implications. This time last season, Ohio State was strengthening its resume to make a push for a national title. 

The last time Ohio State was at the center of the college football conversation, Ryan Day said he wanted his team to play with a loose, aggressive mindset. That led to a 42-41 loss against eventual national champion Georgia in the Peach Bowl. 

The Bulldogs won, but were tested en route to becoming back-to-back champs. C.J. Stroud evaded pressure and made Georgia's secondary sweat. 

To put it bluntly, that's what Day is looking for on Saturday evening against the Irish. 

We’re going to let it rip," Day said on his annual radio show on 97.1 The Fan. 

Ohio State totaled 467 yards of offense on New Year's Eve in Atlanta, Ga., in front of a predominantly Bulldog crowd. Stroud, who ended up playing his last game, seemed confident but more so relaxed when commanding the huddle. 

Georgia was attentive knowing the stakes, but it led to several mid-game errors that forced the Buckeyes back into contention. Stroud, who finished with 348 passing yards, connected with Xavier Johnson for a 37-yard touchdown to take the lead before halftime. 

He later found Emeka Egbuka for a 10-yard score, extending the lead to 11.

“That’s got to be our mentality," said Day. "We have to go into this environment and embrace it and go get it. Go as hard as we possibly can and not look up at the scoreboard until the fourth quarter.”

Notre Dame enters Saturday as one of the nation's more well-rounded offenses under Heisman contender Sam Hartman. Through four games, the Irish rank ninth in scoring, 10th in third-down conversions, 16th in total yards, 21st in passing, and 28th in rushing. 

Hartman, who leads the country with 13 passing touchdowns, has yet to have a turnover in four starts since transferring this offseason from Wake Forest. 

When asked for a player comparison for Hartman, Day mentioned the maturation in the huddle was similar to former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. Bennett, who joined Stroud as a Heisman finalist, went on to lead the Bulldogs to a victory over TCU in Los Angeles a week following the Peach Bowl. 

"Hartman is a very good quarterback," said Day. "He's gonna challenge these guys."

Kickoff from Notre Dame Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.