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What's The Deal With The Ohio State Pass Rush, And How Can They Fix It? · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to Buckeyes Tomorrow Morning for Thursday, October twenty fourth.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, tom ore the Nebraska game in two days,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the game Men's Michigan in thirty seven days. The big
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  Speaker 1: talk around Columbus this week and even last week during
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  Speaker 1: the week off was the performance of the Ohio State
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  Speaker 1: defense at Oregon, and specifically the performance of the defensive line. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: there was a bunch of conversation about the defensive backs
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  Speaker 1: as well at Denzel Burke and all that kind of stuff,
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  Speaker 1: But a lot of the conversation on our board and
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  Speaker 1: I think other places online over the last week or
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  Speaker 1: two has been about the defense and their ability or
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  Speaker 1: inability to generate a consistent pass rush. What's going on there,
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  Speaker 1: what kind of alignment is there on the defensive coaching
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  Speaker 1: staff between Larry Johnson, Jim Knowles, Brian Day, what's going
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  Speaker 1: on there with all that kind of stuff. So on
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  Speaker 1: today's episode, you're just going to be hearing from Ohio
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  Speaker 1: State head coach Ryan Day and really just about those issues.
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  Speaker 1: We're gonna start with one that's a little broader than that.
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  Speaker 1: We're really then going to take a dive on what
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  Speaker 1: he had to say, specifically, about the defensive line, the
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  Speaker 1: defensive staff on the whole, how that's all working right now,
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  Speaker 1: what they want to do philosophically, what's going to change,
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  Speaker 1: and much more so, let's start with a little bit
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  Speaker 1: of a broader one. What is Ryan Day's biggest area
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  Speaker 1: of concern that they want to clean up now heading
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  Speaker 1: into the Nebraska game after the loss to Oregon.
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  Speaker 2: Well, coming out of the game, you know, I think
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  Speaker 2: when you look at the game, the first thing you
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  Speaker 2: recognized we lost a turnover battle. Anytime you play in
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  Speaker 2: a game like that, that that hurts you. We didn't
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  Speaker 2: create any turnovers, that's the first thing. The second thing
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  Speaker 2: was the explosive place. You know, too many explosive plays,
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  Speaker 2: so right out of the gate, that's the first thing.
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  Speaker 2: Then we didn't win the rushing yards, so you know,
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  Speaker 2: all of those things have got to get fixed if
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  Speaker 2: if we're.
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  Speaker 3: Going to win a game like that.
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  Speaker 1: Now we're going to move on to the defense. And
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  Speaker 1: this is one where Ryan Day was not giving a
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  Speaker 1: lot of real long answer. Sometimes he's a little more outgoing, effervescent,
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  Speaker 1: and I did happy, however you want to describe it.
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  Speaker 1: He was a little more let's say terse on Tuesday
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  Speaker 1: when we get a chance to talk to him. So
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  Speaker 1: is Ryan Day happy with the pass rush and is
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  Speaker 1: he happy with the scheme being used right now by
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  Speaker 1: the Buckeyes on defense to get to the quarterback.
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  Speaker 3: Again, I'm not.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not happy with anything right now, but certainly we
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  Speaker 2: want to get more pressure on the quarterback, there's no question.
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  Speaker 2: And it's the coach's job to make sure that we
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  Speaker 2: put our players in a situation environment to be successful.
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  Speaker 2: So that's the first thing we got to look at,
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  Speaker 2: and then it's the player's job to go do it.
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  Speaker 3: And execute it.
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  Speaker 2: So all those things were part of the conversation this
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  Speaker 2: past week, and you know, we definitely need to do
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  Speaker 2: a better job there.
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  Speaker 1: Going to broaden things out here a little bit, not
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  Speaker 1: just on the defensive line, but kind of the game
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  Speaker 1: on the whole. After a lot of these games when
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  Speaker 1: Ohio State doesn't play well, the conversation around the Woody
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  Speaker 1: is was it a scheme issue, a talent issue, or
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  Speaker 1: a coaching issue that caused them to not play particularly well.
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  Speaker 1: That's a pretty common conversation around a lot of college
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  Speaker 1: football programs after a loss. Jerohar Wallt rather famously did
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  Speaker 1: not take a question about that very very welcoming in
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  Speaker 1: a very welcoming manner after the twenty nineteen Ohio State
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  Speaker 1: Michigan game. But Ryan Day, was it a scheme issue,
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  Speaker 1: a talent issue, or a coaching issue in the Buckeyes
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  Speaker 1: loss at Oregon.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the first thing, like you said, you
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  Speaker 2: look at the personnel. You have to make sure we
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  Speaker 2: got the right people in the right spots.
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  Speaker 3: I think we do.
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  Speaker 2: Maybe we can tweak a few things, but I think
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  Speaker 2: we have the right people in the right spots. Then
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  Speaker 2: it comes down to scheme. I think there's some things
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  Speaker 2: that we can do better. For sure, putting guys in
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  Speaker 2: better situations will be successful. And then there's the coaching,
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  Speaker 2: and I think we definitely can do a better job
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  Speaker 2: there making sure that the guys understand, you know, exactly
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  Speaker 2: what they're doing, getting them lined up, and then going
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  Speaker 2: from there.
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  Speaker 3: But I think it's a combination of scheme and coaching.
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  Speaker 1: One big change you got made following the twenty twenty
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  Speaker 1: three Ohio State football season was it Ryan Day handed
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  Speaker 1: over play calling first to Bill O'Brien and then to
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  Speaker 1: Chip Kelly once O'Brien left from Boston College. So that
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  Speaker 1: has freed Ryan Day up to focus on some of
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  Speaker 1: the bigger picture stuff, but also focus on other areas
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  Speaker 1: of the team beyond just the offense. We see him
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  Speaker 1: around the defense, We see him around the special teams
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  Speaker 1: on the practice field. Has he been more involved with
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  Speaker 1: the defense this season and especially in the last week
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  Speaker 1: or so following that loss to Oregon.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I definitely been in there more in the
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  Speaker 2: last week than I have in the past. And you know,
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  Speaker 2: ultimately it's my job to make sure that all three
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  Speaker 2: phases of the way they're supposed to be, so I'm
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  Speaker 2: to make sure that gets done.
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  Speaker 1: Here was a question that has gotten asked a lot
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  Speaker 1: on our board at other places online over the last
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  Speaker 1: few weeks, even last few months, even last few years.
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  Speaker 1: Are Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson defensive coordinator and defensive
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  Speaker 1: line coach, on the same page with what needs to
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  Speaker 1: happen to generate more pressure moving forward?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure.
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  Speaker 2: You know, I know that there was a point maybe
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  Speaker 2: early on when Jim got here where there was conversation
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  Speaker 2: about the jack and all that. But our goal is
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  Speaker 2: to put the best, you know, four rushers in the game,
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  Speaker 2: you know, and if there's five, maybe there's five or
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  Speaker 2: whatever it is, and so that decision has been made
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  Speaker 2: and we reevaluate those things, you know, when when you
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  Speaker 2: when you have to, you know, certainly after a loss,
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  Speaker 2: but even during a bye week you're gonna do.
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  Speaker 3: Something like that.
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  Speaker 2: But no, I I I think you know, I've watched closely,
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  Speaker 2: and I think that they're both in the same page.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, we all want, you know, this week especially,
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  Speaker 2: you know, we've wanted to, you know, look at everything,
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  Speaker 2: and nobody's feeling good about anything right now. You know.
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  Speaker 2: It's just you know, coming off of that thing, there's
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  Speaker 2: a lot of guys on edge, and that's the way
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  Speaker 2: it should be, you know, after a loss. But but no,
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  Speaker 2: they they've they're on the same page. I think that's
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  Speaker 2: the point. And I've been in there the last week
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  Speaker 2: a little bit more and just evaluating everything. And I
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  Speaker 2: think the one thing is, you know, there can be
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  Speaker 2: you know, conversation in the room, but when you leave
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  Speaker 2: the room, everybody's on the same page.
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  Speaker 3: And that that's happening. I'm seeing that.
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  Speaker 2: But you know it's it's again our job as coaches
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  Speaker 2: to make sure we're putting them in the best position
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  Speaker 2: to be successful and you got to evaluate it, and you
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  Speaker 2: got to be honest, and you got to make sure
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  Speaker 2: you're talking the truth in those moments. And I think
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  Speaker 2: that's happened the last week and I'm excited to get
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  Speaker 2: back on a field here.
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  Speaker 3: Ryan.
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  Speaker 1: They brought in Jim Knowles following the twenty twenty one season.
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  Speaker 1: That season was kind of a disaster. He had Carry
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  Speaker 1: Combs get demoted mid to season following the loss to Oregon.
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  Speaker 1: Matt Barnes stepped in and took over the defensive play calling.
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  Speaker 1: They were both gone at the end of that season.
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  Speaker 1: In came Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State. He'd had some
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  Speaker 1: great success there of various statistically successful defense with the
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  Speaker 1: Oklahoma State Cowboys, and then came to Ohio State. He's
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  Speaker 1: had some success there as well, sort of gradually improving
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  Speaker 1: statistically year over year. But what he's doing at Ohio
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  Speaker 1: State is very different in some ways from what he
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  Speaker 1: did at Oklahoma State. So when he was hired, what
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  Speaker 1: was the conversation like, was it kind of just do
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  Speaker 1: your thing, or was it, hey, we get we respect
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  Speaker 1: what you did at Oklahoma State. We like what you
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  Speaker 1: did at Oklahoma State, because that's why you're here, but hey,
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  Speaker 1: we kind of have a different type of player here,
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  Speaker 1: so y gotta maybe you don't evenn't necessarily do as
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  Speaker 1: much or as the same kind of stuff you did
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  Speaker 1: at Oklahoma State. Let's work around what you got here instead,
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  Speaker 1: which which one of those conversations.
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  Speaker 3: Was, yeah, a little bit of both.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, you know, my goal, you know bringing
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  Speaker 2: Jim in was to be the head coach of the
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  Speaker 2: defense and to run it. But there was also you know,
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  Speaker 2: we have you know, recruited very well on the defensive line,
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  Speaker 2: so you know, when he was at Oklahoma State, they
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  Speaker 2: didn't have you know, four down D lineman and then
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  Speaker 2: certainly no depth behind it, so you know, he had
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  Speaker 2: to be creative about what he was doing there. Decision
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  Speaker 2: was made a long time ago that you know, we
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  Speaker 2: have the D lineman here to Ohio State. They can
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  Speaker 2: play with ford own linemen. Now, you know, might we
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  Speaker 2: consider some different fronts and changing that up. I think
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  Speaker 2: it's all very good conversation, and we have to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that, you know, we're going down all those roads
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  Speaker 2: to to make sure that again we're putting these guys
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  Speaker 2: in the chance to be successful. We're making it you know,
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  Speaker 2: not easy for the offense to just you know, line
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  Speaker 2: up and know where coming from. So but but I
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  Speaker 2: think at the end of the day, to answer your question,
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  Speaker 2: it comes down to the personnel you have and where
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  Speaker 2: you are and to put him in a chance to
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  Speaker 2: be successful. And you know, I feel like, you know,
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  Speaker 2: we have plenty of the linemen here and we have
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  Speaker 2: the right guys on the field, but we got to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that you know we are changing it up
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  Speaker 2: and making sure that you know it isn't just you know,
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  Speaker 2: a four man rush s ttrade all the time.
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  Speaker 1: For sure, every once in a while you will see
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  Speaker 1: a quote and think, oh boy, this is going to
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  Speaker 1: live on in the Ohio State football zeitgeist for years
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  Speaker 1: and years and years. I think back to the backup
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  Speaker 1: Oklahoma State quarterback calling Ohio States offense a defense basic.
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  Speaker 1: That was a good one a couple of years ago.
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  Speaker 1: Last week during the week off, Nick Saban, former defensive
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  Speaker 1: guru and head coach at Alabama, among other places, a
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  Speaker 1: guy who knows a little bit about college football, he
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  Speaker 1: called Ohio States pass rush antiquated. That drew quite a
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  Speaker 1: bit of attention, qut a bit of ire from the
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  Speaker 1: Ohio State fan base and others in Ryan Day's mind,
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  Speaker 1: is that accurate?
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  Speaker 2: Well, when it doesn't work, I mean it's accurate. You
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  Speaker 2: know it's not working. So there's a lot of different
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  Speaker 2: ways to do it. There's you know, different strategies on
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  Speaker 2: how to go do that. But when when you have
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  Speaker 2: the results that you do right now, then certainly it's
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  Speaker 2: not working and that has to change.
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  Speaker 1: And finally, there are lots of questions around the defense.
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  Speaker 1: That was about as many questions as I can remember
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  Speaker 1: a coach getting on a single topic at a press conference.
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  Speaker 1: But with all that said, with all those questions out there,
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  Speaker 1: how much faith does Ryan Day have in Jim Knowles
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  Speaker 1: right now? And why?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah?
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  Speaker 2: Well, as I go in the meeting and I had
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  Speaker 2: hard conversations everybody, and I know what the plan is
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  Speaker 2: moving forward, and you know I'm involved with that plan.
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  Speaker 2: So yeah, I got confidence and all those guys on
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  Speaker 2: that side of the ball, and I know what we
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  Speaker 2: need to get done, and we're gonna get done.
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  Speaker 1: We're gonna put this one up a little early today
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  Speaker 1: because we're gonna be hearing from Ryan Day yet again
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  Speaker 1: later tonight. I want to just kind of get this
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: all out there for you right now, just to make
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: sure you've got a chance to hear all of this stuff,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: because we're probably gonna be talking about some different stuff
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: with him later on tonight as well as with the
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: rest of the Buckeye players will be talking to usual
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: Wednesday night at the Woodie. We will be there, have
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: our interviews live streaming sometime around six six thirty depending
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: on when practice ends, and then Tony and I'll have
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: a live episode of the Buckeye Weekly podcast following that
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: following those interviews, So go ahead and pencil that in
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: for seven thirty or so give or take on Wednesday
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: evening and then onto another busy game week, Buckeyes and
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: Nebraska kicking off at noon, Big Noon Cackoff on Fox.
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: The Big Noon Kickoff pregame show will be there, a
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: lot of stuff happening around campus on Saturday. We will
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: be there for all of it. Tony, Kevin and I
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: covering the team, are covering recruiting, got our whole team
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: of x's nose gurus all at Buckeye Huddle dot com.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: This week busy week, huge recruiting week for the Buckeyes,
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: bringing in some very big names for this Nebraska game,
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: much much more, a lot of stuff to talk about
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: this week. We hope you will join us at bucket
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: huddle dot com talk about all of it, and also
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: of course at YouTube dot com slash Buckeye Huddle. We
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: talk about it all there too. Lots of different content,
• 11:03
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• 11:07
  Speaker 1: all sorts of stuff, Plenty of very active threads, very
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: active conversation about Ohio State in the fourth quarter, on
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: defense over the last couple of years, and what stats
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: are real and what stats aren't in a very very
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: interesting conversation about that just in the last day on
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: our board. If you want to be part of that community,
• 11:23
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• 11:25
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• 11:28
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• 11:30
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• 11:33
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• 11:36
  Speaker 1: is a lot of stuff to talk about this next
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: month as the Buckeyes get ready to take on Penn State
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: and the newly expanded College football twelve team playoff. Oh yes,
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: that Michigan game. All that coming up in the next
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: month or so. At bucke Huddle dot com We hope
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: to see you there. That'll do it for today. Thank
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: you guys all for joining us. Have a great day.
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: We'll talk to you tomorrow.