“What was the thing that got Goliath? It was a stone – it was a little thing,” Day said. “Goliath didn’t wake up that day and think the stone was going to get him.” (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Ryan Day credits his players for playing good football every week, staying rooted in the process and not looking ahead to all the good things that might come their way.
Columbus, OH – Ohio State, the No. 1 team in the country since Week 2, plays a football game Saturday at Purdue, one of four teams yet to win a Big Ten game this fall.
Barry Odom and Ryan Browne’s Boilermakers do not note remotely resemble Joe Tiller and Drew Brees’ basketball-on-grass giant killer.
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So, when Head Buckeye Ryan Day says, “This is an important week for the Buckeyes,” what does he mean? Is it coach speak?
To a large degree, yes, because no one believes Purdue, despite its history for stinging the Buckeyes, will put up a worthy fight on the cold-tolerant strain of Bermuda grass in Ross-Ade Stadium, that, as hardy as it is, will not prop up a 2-7 team.
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The Buckeyes have faced plenty of Purdues during Day’s seven-year tenure. Yet, the Buckeyes have never been the unsuspecting, presumptuous Goliath of the Old Testament. Day is 51-5 in Big Ten games. He lost to Oregon last year and the past four years to Michigan.
The case can be made that last year’s loss felt a little like the shepherd boy David slaying Goliath. But that was a psychological flop far more than pride going before the fall. Otherwise, no David has chosen the right smooth stone and hit the mark.
In reality, though, Day’s ability to convince his players not to tempt fate and mock an opponent like Purdue is one of his superpowers. This week, in a reflection time with his team, he went to 1 Samuel Chapter 17 for a Philistines history lesson.
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“What was the thing that got Goliath? It was a stone – it was a little thing,” Day said. “Goliath didn’t wake up that day and think the stone was going to get him.”
Ryan Day-coached teams will lose games now and then as long as he coaches. But to teams like Purdue? Unlikely. Day never tires of telling his team to beware of the distractions that get you got.
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“Everybody in the building has to buy into it – that’s the key,” Day said. “It’s one thing for a coach to say it. It’s another thing for these guys to do it. And the credit goes to the players. There’s a lot of coaches in the country that probably say the same thing over and over again. It comes down to the guys and then the leaders echoing that message in the locker room.”
Now, November has ushered in the annual season of distractions. David had five smooth stones, and it took only one to fell Goliath. Stone No.1 Day must battle against is the stone of complacency and a feeling of “we have arrived.”
Stone No. 2 is the College Football Playoff rankings. The Buckeyes were installed as the No. 1 team by the committee of 12 Tuesday night. But Day said Tuesday afternoon that he wouldn’t be watching.
“It’s great for the fans, it’s good for the sport, which is great for all of us,” he said. “I’m glad we do it, but it’s not something that really matters to us. The TVs are always on, so I’m sure somebody will be watching it. It won’t be me.”
Day’s only goal is to win Saturday and keep winning all the way to the first Saturday in December in the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. Until then he doesn’t care how those 12 jurors vote.
“My expectation is I hope that none of our team really pays attention to it because it doesn’t matter,” he said. “Does not matter at all. Just keep winning, man, that’s it.”
Stone No. 3 is the Heisman Trophy talk that surrounds another one of his quarterbacks. Julian Sayin’s recent production, his accuracy, his emerging talent to make plays on the move, his cool head, have made him the current odds-on favorite to win the Heisman.
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Day doesn’t disagree that Sayin is on that path. But he doesn’t want Sayin or anyone else to think about or manage a game in any way to promote it.
“He’s produced at a high level up to this point,” Day said. “But he knows this is about accomplishing goals as a team. And he would tell you the same thing.”
Stone No. 4 is all the other awards players are up for. Wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are worthy of the Biletnikoff Award. Linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese are semifinalists for the Butkus Award. They are also semifinalists along with end Caden Curry for the Lombardi Award. Safety Caleb Downs is a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. These players and others will also be all-Big Ten and All-Americans.
“Everything matters,” Day said. “I say that to the players. But that’s just a byproduct of winning and having success as a group. But on the priority list of things, no, they’re not very high. It’s more about winning as a team, and when you win as a team, those things come.”
Stone No. 5 changes every week and represents the opponent. Looking past Purdue, UCLA or Rutgers won’t be tolerated. Not even if playing distracted doesn’t cost the Buckeyes a win.
“We got to keep the process the process,” Day said. “I know you probably get tired of hearing me say that. I’m sure some of the guys in the program do, but I keep saying to them, don’t get tired of me saying that because that’s really what matters.”
And when it comes to Week 12 and the trip to Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes can’t be distracted by the failures of the past four years. Day is already removing some distractions. The traditional interactions with the marching band at practice was moved to last week’s off week.
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More changes to maintain as much routine as possible are likely to come for Michigan week. Day doesn’t talk about the big goals this year either. He never mentions the goal of beating their rival. Instead, he often says, “The No. 1 goal is to win the game.”
Doesn’t sound like a coach who will be distracted by the desire to run the ball for the sake of running the ball as happened last year. Day is focused. He wants to hold another championship trophy.
To do that on a warm January night in Miami, all the Buckeyes need to do is not think Goliath and repel every stone thrown their way.
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