Ohio State is 2-1 on the season as they prepare to open up Big Ten play. It was a bounce-back game for Ohio State, as they defeated Kent State after the loss to Texas.
Now, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is issuing a challenge to Julian Sayin and the rest of the squad as they prepare to face Illinois, per Andrew Gillis of Cleveland.com.
“When you come out of games like that, you can see really nice throws and really nice plays and just say, ‘That’s what he’s supposed to do,’” Day said.
Day also wanted some more consistency from Sayin. The Buckeyes quarterback has completed 56 of 79 passes for 839 yards and six touchdowns. He has been intercepted once. He has also rushed for one touchdown. Still, most of the targets have gone to Jeremiah Smith. Of his 56 completions, 21 of them have gone to Jeremiah Smith. Meanwhile, nearly a third of Sayin's attempts have targeted Smith. Day also said he could not tell if there was better chemistry between Sayin and the rest of the receivers, and he needs to see a bigger spread of targets in Big Ten play.
Article Continues BelowDay is also being clear about laying out his expectations.
“One of the things for a good coach is that you communicate. You communicate the expectations,” Day said.
Ohio State is a massive favorite this weekend against Illinois, as they look to go to 1-0 in conference play. The Buckeyes have a difficult conference schedule ahead of them, with games on the road against Iowa, Indiana, and USC, while they will host Oregon and Michigan this year.