Ohio State Coach Addresses Mounting Pressure for the Team

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day spoke out about the mounting pressure facing his team.

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts after a touchdown during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to get back to playing football this weekend, hosting the Nebraska Cornhuskers and quarterback Dylan Raiola, who was previously committed to Ohio State.

Ryan Day and the Buckeyes enjoyed a much-needed bye week last week after losing to the Oregon Ducks in heartbreaking fashion the week before. They are now ready to take out their frustration from the loss on Nebraska.

Due to the loss to Oregon, Ohio State is facing a lot of address pressure that they haven't faced this season. They're far from being out of the College Football Playoff picture, but they'll need to win out to guarantee themselves a spot.

That kind of pressure can get to a team.

Recently, Day spoke out about all of the pressure and noise that the team is feeling and hearing. He doesn't believe that the team should try to ignore the outside noise. But, he does think they need to hear it and see it, but focus on the right things.

“It’s easy for everyone to say just ignore everything," Day said. “Well, your players are reading it, your players’ parents are reading it, recruits are reading it. So you got to be aware of what’s going on out there. But, at the end of theday, you have to focus on what’s right, what you know your team’s about, and that’s really what it comes down to. And I think it’s important for our guys to understand that."

Coming out of the bye week strong with a win over the Cornhuskers would help quiet some of the noise. Then, the Buckeyes will prepare for another monstrous game.

Next week, they will hit the road for a chance to get a form of redemption for their loss to the Ducks. They will play against the Penn State Nittany Lions, who head into this weekend's game ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Needless to say, the next two weeks are going to be very important for Ohio State. If they can beat Nebraska and then beat Penn State, they'll be right back in business.

All of that being said, Day is preaching the right things to his team. Hear the noise, but don't focus on it. If the Buckeyes heed his advice, they should still be in a good place.