Ohio State head coach Ryan Day’s message after Saturday’s 34–10 win over Purdue centered on progress and the continued growth of his team in the trenches.
The Buckeyes, who improved to 9–0 and 6–0 in Big Ten play, dominated time of possession for nearly 41 minutes and piled up sustained scoring drives built on physical running. Day pointed to freshman running back Bo Jackson’s performance as a sign that Ohio State’s ground game is starting to come together.
“That has been an emphasis point,” Day said. “I think the short yardage, where there was a free guy in the hole and he (Bo Jackson) brought his own blocker, that kind of reminded me of Quinshon Judkins last year. That was a good step in the right direction for him.”
Jackson led the team with 14 carries for 75 yards, including several bruising runs that set up scoring opportunities for CJ Donaldson Jr., who found the end zone twice. The Buckeyes finished with over 150 yards on the ground and six scoring drives lasting five minutes or more.
“I thought we got better today because I thought we had more opportunities to run,” Day said. “These are young backs that we have to continue to give the opportunity to grow.”
Quarterback Julian Sayin once again showed poise and precision, completing 27 of 33 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown. His top target, Jeremiah Smith, finished with 10 receptions for 137 yards and a score.
Sayin also threw an interception in the third quarter — one of the few offensive missteps of the day — but Day saw it as part of his young quarterback’s development.
“I think he probably wants to go in the other direction on the sideline when something like that happens, but he has to learn from those and he will,” Day said. “Julian’s a quick learner.”
Day explained that the offensive plan against Purdue was deliberately centered on establishing the run, particularly with running backs getting extended opportunities.
“You could see that the emphasis on this game was to try to get the backs some carries, establish the run and continue to work on that,” Day said. “Carnell was unavailable, that certainly changed things quickly on what we had planned, but for Jeremiah to still have the impact he did, not having Carnell on that side of the ball just speaks volumes to what he does.”
Tight end Max Klare’s return to West Lafayette was another storyline. The Purdue transfer caught multiple passes, including a key first down, in an emotional matchup against his former team — and his brother.
“Yeah, he was excited to come back and play,” Day said. “He has a lot of respect for this place, he loves this place. A lot of the guys he played with and obviously his brother is on the team, so I know it meant a lot to him to play this game, get a win and play well.”
Ohio State’s defense, anchored by Jermaine Mathews Jr.’s first-half interception and a stifling effort up front, limited Purdue to just 10 points and 3.6 yards per play.
For Day, Saturday’s win illustrated the Buckeyes’ growing physical identity and the progression he wants to see as the season enters November.