Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day has strictly shifted his focus away from the win against the Michigan Wolverines in the regular-season finale this past Saturday, but couldn't go without addressing a minor issue: in-game communication via player helmets.
During the Fox broadcast from Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, it was revealed the Buckeyes' coaching staff couldn't fully communicate with one another across their regular communication channels.
"We lost communication there in the second half,” Day told reporters Tuesday. “But, the good news was that earlier that week, I thought there may be an inkling that that may happen. So, we had a plan for it. We had a wristband plan."
That "wristband plan" paid dividends for the Buckeyes, as they wound up securing a 27-9 victory to snap a four-game losing streak in the rivalry and clinch a conference title game berth.
“Then, we would bring Julian [Sayin] over, and I was just getting us through it until we got the headsets back up and running, which took a little while to get done," Day added. "But, yeah, just by chance we had a plan for it, and so we were ready to go when it happened.”
Day said he had an "inkling" there may be issues during "The Game," which he seemed unbothered about.
"That was in here on Friday, and I think some of the guys in the staff were looking at me sideways, like, ‘Why would you think that would happen?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. We just got to be ready and be ready for anything.’ It’s funny how your mind works,” Day said.
It's safe to assume that this Saturday will present more challenges, but hopefully none related to equipment as the Buckeyes will attempt to hand the Hoosiers their first loss of the season at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Kickoff is now just 109 hours away. It can't come fast enough.