3 things from Ryan Day’s Ball State presser
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Each week at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day meets with the media ahead of the Buckeyes’ matchup that following weekend. Each week here at Land-Grant Holy Land, we will be bringing you three of the biggest storylines from said press conference.
You can listen to Day’s full availability on LGHL’s Uncut here.
These are three takeaways from Day’s Week 1 press conference previewing the season opener against Ball State on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET…
1) Expectations for the run game
Despite a strong season for freshman running back Bo Jackson, Ohio State’s rushing attack was largely subpar in 2025.
The Buckeyes averaged 154.63 yards on the ground per game, which ranked 72nd nationally. Their 25 rushing touchdowns ranked 46th, and their 4.55 yards per carry ranked 51st. Ohio State was especially lacking when it came to explosive runs, with only 12 runs of more than 20 yards (tied for 88th) and eight runs of more than 30 yards (T-49).
All of these numbers are far below expectations for a program that has historically ran the football among college football’s best.
The head coach is aware of the team’s shortcomings running the football last season and the issues it created for the offense as a whole. Heading into 2026, Day says there has been a lot of talk about turning those 10-12 yard runs into explosives.
There are a bunch of reasons to expect an improved run game from Ohio State this year, with Day mentioning the experience of the offensive line, an emphasis on physicality and the addition of a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith.
It also won’t hurt to get a second-year jump from Jackson, who ran for over 1,000 yards as a freshman without even beginning the campaign as a starter.
2) Wide receiver rotations
Ohio State’s wide receiver room has been among the best of the best since Brian Hartline arrived in Columbus, but the position coach has since moved on. Now begins a new era under Cortez Hankton, but he will have the benefit of a pretty significant holdover.
Jeremiah Smith leads the way as a potential first overall NFL Draft pick, but unlike prior seasons, there are a lot of unknowns behind him.
Day spoke about all of the guys he expects to play alongside Smith on Saturday against Ball State, mentioning by name Chris Henry Jr., Brandon Inniss, Brock Boyd and Devin McCuin as new additions who should see the field early on. He also mentioned Phillip Bell and De’zie Jones as guys he’d let to get into the game.
It was particularly notable how he spoke about McCuin, saying the UTSA transfer is, “as good as we’ve had here.” McCuin put up nearly 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career with the Roadrunners, and seems to be primed for a big role on offense in 2026.
Day also made a point that special teams will play a factor in young guys earning reps at wide receiver, noting the way that a guy like Chris Olave paved his way to playing time through excellent work on special teams.
Ohio State’s wide receiver room may not be as top heavy as it had been under Hartline, but it has a chance to be deeper than it had been in years prior.
3) The new turf is Jeremiah Smith approved
One of the big Ohio State storylines of the offseason outside of the roster has been the installation of new turf at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes replaced the playing field for the first time since 2022, and the early feedback on the new surface is extremely positive.
Most importantly: it is Jeremiah Smith approved.
“It was Jeremiah-approved. That was a big deal,” Day said. “Went up to the big fella and asked him, ‘What do you think?’, and he said ‘I love it!’, so that helped.”
“We were on it a couple of times and it sems to, so far, really be a good track,” Day continued. “The guys like it and being out there and scrimmaging on it and practicing on it, good a lot of goof feedback from the players and they’re the ones who know.”
According to Ohio State Athletics, the new turf is designed to meet NFL standards. The Buckeyes’ prior turf drew plenty of criticism for its outdated technology, leading to potential injury concerns. They will be hoping the new surface alleviates those issues.
“It’s like actual real turf now. It’s pretty sweet,” Carson Hinzman told the media on Tuesday. “We get new cleats and stuff like that to go break in for gamedays and stuff, and so for us, it didn’t feel like you’re breaking in cleats, which is pretty sweet. It’s nice and cushy. Feels like actual grass, which is awesome. Excited to be able to play and run off that and not have any issues.”
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