Ryan Day is treading a fine line in his philosophical approach to preparation for September’s season opener against Notre Dame.
On one hand, a Fighting Irish program with two trips to the College Football Playoff in the last four years cannot be overlooked. And the Buckeyes can ill afford a loss to open the season, especially after last year’s Week 2 defeat to Oregon. For those reasons, one would think Ohio State should pour everything into the buildup for the high-profile non-conference clash.
On the other hand, Day wants to be careful not to set his team up for a potential post-win emotional lull, with a matchup against Wisconsin coming down the pipeline just a few weeks after Sept.