Ohio State Buckeyes' Ryan Day Puts These Two Key Players On Notice

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day didn't hold back his thoughts when discussing two key players on the Buckeyes' offense.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day walks onto the field during the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 52-6. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes did what they had to do in their season opener. They routed the Akron Zips by a score of 52-6, but head coach Ryan Day wants to see more.

Ohio State actually struggled out of the gate, failing to score until the 2:44 mark of the first quarter and taking a rather disappointing 17-3 lead into halftime.

Part of the Buckeyes' early offensive struggles against Akron were a result of their inconsistent offensive line play, which was understandable given that guards Austin Siereveld and Tegra Tshabola were making their first career starts.

However, Day didn't mince words when discussing his expectations for the two players going forward.

“We expect to go out there and score every time we touch the ball and run the ball well,” Day said, via Marcus Hartman of The Dayton Daily News. “We’re not in the excuse-making business, so those guys have got to go out and play really, really well. That’s what we expect. We’re at Ohio State, so let’s go. But I’m predicting that this week they have a really good week of practice and they keep growing from it and they build from it, and they have a point of reference moving forward.”

The offensive line has been a rather considerable area of concern for the Buckeyes the past several years, with the school consistently failing to land top recruits. While it's still early and the unit was far from bad in Week 1, there is no question that there is some reason to be concerned about Ohio State's offensive line the rest of the way.

We'll see if the Buckeyes can do a better job along that front when they battle Western Michigan on Saturday evening.