Buckeyes bulletin board again filling up ahead of rivalry showdown
COLUMBUS — There are apparently no concerns across the border about facing the Ohio State defense.
That hasn’t gone unnoticed in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The Buckeyes immediately took note of the confident comments from Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara ahead of the latest edition of The Game on Saturday. And while they didn’t respond with any kind of trash talk of their own, the four-time defending Big Ten champions and the lopsided leaders in the rivalry over the last two decades certainly took note.
“We focus on ourselves,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on Tuesday afternoon. “But there’s obviously social media out there and guys read things here and there. We certainly don’t need extra motivation for a game like this. Everything is riding on it. This is a rivalry game.
“I know the guys are always watching and seeing what’s going on up there.”
The Buckeyes don’t necessarily have an old-school bulletin board to put up any kind of quotes that seemingly emerge annually from Michigan. Televisions and iPads have replaced those for sharing information, and the word was certainly spreading quickly because of it on Tuesday morning.
On the heels of their most complete performance of the season in a blowout win over Michigan State, the Ohio State defense still stumbled unexpectedly on some fuel to add to the rivalry fire.
“I wouldn’t say I’m very concerned about anything,” McNamara said on the Inside Michigan Football radio show. “I’d say we’re looking to take advantage of Ohio State. As the week progresses, we’re going to find ways to do that.
“I know this offense is going to be very confident going into this game.”
The Buckeyes obviously are riding high as well, and the competitive juices are clearly flowing beneath the surface.
But Ohio State just kept most of its thoughts to itself.
“The adrenaline is going now,” Day said. “Oh yeah.
