Ohio State football coach Ryan Day is trying to keep his team motivated this season. The coach is hoping his team won't be too distracted by all the hype that is being thrust on them.
“We know there's a lot of noise and hype around this team. What we can't do is let those distractions grab our focus from what we need to do, day in and day out. … We've got to have a good preseason. We've got to have a physical preseason,” Day said, per ESPN.
Ohio State football is picked to win the Big Ten Conference this year, per the preseason media poll. The team is also getting tons of praise from former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer, who said that this squad is as talented as any he has seen.
Ohio State football faces pressure to win this season
The Buckeyes are trying to win the Big Ten for the first time in several years. The team has lost three years in a row to bitter rival Michigan, who won the College Football Playoff last season. Ohio State football coach Day is definitely expected to turn that tide this year from fans who are desperate for a championship.
“We want to win the rivalry game, we want to be in this stadium right here, we want to win a Big Ten championship, win the national championship. We know that. But at the same time, that can't our focus, because that's a distraction,” Day added.
The team looks for offense in the conference this season. Ohio State lost two important wide receivers from last year's team, in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Julian Fleming. The Buckeyes added a lot of talent to fill that gap, along with returning players. Emeka Egbuka is the likely top target for the offense this year.
The offensive line is another area the Buckeyes are focusing on. Day says that this particular group will be the barometer for the team's overall success.
“The O-line is the area we’ve been locked in on. Coming out of summer, their bodies look different,” Day said, per Eleven Warriors. “They’ve had a good summer. We know how important that is. This team is gonna go as the offensive line goes.”
Ohio State may be picked to win the league, but there are several strong contenders this season for a Big Ten title. Penn State is reloaded, with the wide receiver Fleming who transferred in from Ohio State. Michigan has a new coach with Sherrone Moore. The league also has four new members in USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. Washington made it to the CFP Final last season, but they too have a new head coach. It won't be easy for the Buckeyes to win a title, but fans are restless and don't want excuses.
Ohio State starts its season on August 31 against Akron.
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