Ryan Day finally got the kind of Saturday he wanted.
Ohio State opened Big Ten play with a 42-19 win over Illinois on Sept. 26. After a shaky non-conference stretch, the Buckeyes needed a strong response. They got one.
Ohio State entered the season with huge expectations. The Buckeyes handled their two heavy favorites without much drama. Then came Texas. That trip did not exactly go according to the brochure.
Ohio State lost to the Longhorns on the road. Suddenly, the Buckeyes entered Big Ten play at 2-1. Not terrible, not exactly the start anyone in Columbus was putting on a T-shirt.
Then Illinois arrived.
The Fighting Illini were another Power Four opponent. They were not Texas, but they were still a useful measuring stick. Ohio State needed to show that the Texas loss was a lesson rather than the beginning of a bad habit.
Mission accomplished.
The Buckeyes scored 42 points and controlled the game. Illinois finished with 19. That is the football version of saying, “Thanks for coming.”
The biggest stars were quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Both delivered career performances. Sayin looked confident, Smith looked like someone who had decided that one highlight was simply not enough.
Together, they helped turn the game into an offensive party.
After the final whistle, Ryan Day spoke about what he saw from his team. And naturally, he was not interested in acting like Ohio State had just conquered the football universe.
That is the Ryan Day experience.
A 42-point performance can happen, and the coach will still find something to fix.
Still, the win mattered.
Ohio State needed a response after the Texas disappointment. The Buckeyes needed to prove they could handle a quality opponent and start Big Ten play with some momentum, they did exactly that.
Day’s comments also showed that the coaching staff is looking beyond the scoreboard. The goal is not simply to beat Illinois, it is to use games like this to figure out what works, what needs fixing and who can be trusted when the pressure gets serious.
That last part could become important very quickly.
Big Ten play is only getting tougher, there will be bigger tests ahead, and there will also be less room for sloppy football.
For now, Ohio State is 1-0 in conference play.
