Ryan Day on if Michigan stole Ohio State's signs: 'I'm not gonna answer that'

Ryan Day knows it’s not a question that will go away, even if he politely refuses to engage with it: Did Michigan manage to steal Ohio State’s play signals?

Ahead of the penultimate game of the season against Minnesota, Day was asked point blank by reporters if he knows that Michigan had deciphered Ohio State’s signals. He demurred.

“Again, I appreciate the question. I’d ask the question, too, if I was you. But, I’m not going to answer that,” Day said.

While beating Michigan is a year-round task in Columbus, and vice versa in Ann Arbor, Day emphasized the focus is firmly on the Gophers as Ohio State gears up for Week 12.

“It’s like I said. I appreciate it. I know there’s a lot out there. I just — I’m focused on my team. We gotta play Minnesota, we gotta beat these guys, and then we’ll move on to what comes next after that. But, we’ve got things here we’ve gotta keep getting better at and that’s what I’m going to focus on, get on this film after practice and go from there and worry about the things that I can control,” Day said.

Day and his Ohio State squad travel north to play Michigan in Week 13, what will be the third and final game of a suspension for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, a result of the ongoing investigation into alleged impermissible scouting of future opponents.

One thing Day is focused on: Stumping for Marvin Harrison Jr. for Heisman

With the season coming to a close, the race for The Heisman Trophy is also coming down to the wire. Several players remain in contention but, to Day, none are more deserving than Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr..

Day obviously made the case for his superstar wideout during his press conference on Tuesday. To him, if the award represents what he believes that it does, Harrison Jr. should be the clear choice as college football’s most exceptional player.

“I think I’ve said it before that the Heisman Trophy goes to the most outstanding player in the country,” explained Day. “There’s a lot of great players out there. I get to see him everyday – I think he is the most outstanding player in the country.”

Furthermore, Day pointed to Harrison Jr.’s all-around approach on and off the field. He went all the way back to his arrival in Columbus to the present day as the basis for why his justification stands above the rest for the sport’s most prestigious award.

“He, right from the jump, came in with a work ethic that, really, has transcended throughout the whole team,” said Day. “Just what he has done and, now, the production as well.

“He wants to be great,” Day continued. “I know that – you can just tell it. His actions back that up. And, certainly, his production speaks for itself on the field with what he’s doing. He makes everybody on that field better.”