Ohio State Buckeyes: Ryan Day eager to get to next step

“We want to win the rivalry game, be in this stadium here and win a Big Ten championship and win a national championship, but that’s a distraction from what we’re doing right now,” he said Tuesday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.

As he has since January, Day spoke of embracing expectations but keeping the next thing the next thing.

“At the same time that can’t be our focus because that’s a distraction from where we are right now,” Day said. “So where the season goes and what this team looks like will look a lot different than it did last year. This is a new journey. We have to rebuild that to get to where we need to be.

“That started last winter, but the next step is now — in preseason. And so we know what the expectation is. Every time I’ve gone into a season at Ohio State, you expect to win every game. That’s just what it is. If you don’t think that’s the case, try losing a game at Ohio State. You’re expected to win them all.

“That’s not new. We embrace it in recruiting, and we want to make sure those type of people are in our program.”

He also offered a brief update on the offensive line, which still has a competition at center and right guard.

“As you know, the O-line has been the area that we’ve been locked in on,” Day said. “I think that coming out of the summer, their bodies look different.”

He praised seniors Josh Fryar and Donovan Jackson for having good summers and looks for competition to continue at center and right guard.

Carson Hinzman, last season’s starter, is trying hold off Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin in the middle, but Day said either of them could also play guard.

He also praised Lakota West grad Tegra Tshabola and Luke Montgomery of Findlay, who are both in the running to be the new right guard.

“We feel like we have decent guys in there that can fill that role, but we have to put it on the field now and see how this training and everything that happened this summer is going to translate to being on the field.”