Ohio State's Ryan Day speaks ahead of Penn State game
Oct 29, 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- For the second time this season, Ohio State prepares to meet a top five team on the road. The fourth-ranked Buckeyes travel to No. 3 Penn State at noon Saturday after a 21-17 win over Nebraska.
"Unbelievable opportunity right here. A chance to go to Indianapolis right here," head coach Ryan Day said. "If we can get the offense going like the way it has in the past combined with the way we played on defense this past week, that's what we're looking for in this game."
The game will be a homecoming for quarterback Will Howard, who graduated from Downingtown West high school in Pennsylvania. The Kansas State transfer said he was looking forward to the game after getting overlooked by Penn State as a recruit.
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"I'm stoked. I'm stoked. I cannot wait. It's going to be a homecoming for me. I grew up a Penn State fan," Howard told reporters on Saturday. "I wanted to go there my whole life. They didn't think I was good enough. But I guess we'll see next week if I was."
But Day says there's plenty of motivation throughout the team to win this game, including a chance to beat a top five team after coming up short against Oregon on Oct. 12.
"Just like the Oregon game was, this game has been circled on our schedule," Day said. "We know what's at stake here. We're going to have a great week of practice, great energy in practice. We're going to go into that environment and finish what we didn't do two weeks ago."
Ohio State (6-1) will have Arvell Reese available the entire game after a targeting penalty he received in the fourth quarter against Nebraska was overturned by the Big Ten. The linebacker was originally suspended for the first half against Penn State (7-0).
The Buckeyes are coming off an underwhelming offensive performance against the Cornhuskers, limited to 64 rushing yards. But the defense limited the Huskers to just one touchdown, with cornerback Jordan Hancock's interception late in the fourth quarter sealing the victory.
A win over Penn State would be Day's third against a top-five team since taking over Ohio State in 2019.