Practices becoming more intense

‍

‍

COVER PHOTO: Running back Quinshon Judkins runs through drills during the team's fall camp practice on Aug. 1, 2024. Picture by Sam Fahmi/Columbus Wired.

‍

As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Or at the very least, it’s supposed to make you better.

For Ohio State, they’re hoping for both, and if you’re going to ramp up the intensity, there is no better week to start than facing a highly touted Oregon team on the road.

“We’ve had two good days right here,” head coach Ryan Day said after Wednesday’s practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “Guys have been edgy, which is what you want, and coaches have been edgy, so that’s good.”

When asked specifically what “edgy” meant, Day said his guys have been practicing with purpose, competitiveness and have been pushing each other..

“I just think that this game means a lot to all of us and everybody wants to be right so you’re going to have everybody’s best. We’re going to be competitive, we’re going to grind in practice and that’s the way it should be. Nothing about practice should be casual at all.”

Soft was a narrative thrown at Ohio State last season starting with Lou Holtz, who famously called them as such the day before the Buckeyes’ showdown against Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. Day emphatically fired back and specifically called out Holtz on national television after his team beat the Fighting Irish, 17-14, thanks largely to a 21-yard dart thrown by former quarterback Kyle McCord to current OSU receiver Emeka Egbuka on 3rd & 19 to the 1-yard line.

Three plays later, former running back Deamonte “Chip” Trayanum finished it off with a plunge into the end zone to secure the victory.

But even after that hard-nosed dub on the road, the narrative continued, primarily by fans of That Team Up North.

And when the Wolverines concluded their regular season with a 30-24 win over the Buckeyes, the noise about OSU’s cream puff nature grew to an unavoidable ruckus. It didn’t help matters that the Scarlet and Gray looked woeful (despite not having a few key ingredients, including McCord) in their Cotton Bowl matchup against No. 9 Mizzouri and Michigan concluded the season with a national championship.

The detractors were laughing their heads off at the Buckeyes.

Immediately afterwards, the team began showing some of their workouts on social media, proclaiming they were done with those reveling in their misery.

The team seemed to be going at in those videos with an edge.

Fast forward ten months later and, so far, it seems like they’re still keeping that intensity.

Although maybe the past five opponents haven’t tickled their fancy quite like the one they’re going to face on Saturday.

Maybe they lost their “edge” a little bit and started resting on the laurels of their uber-talents.

Linebacker and captain Cody Simon said they’ve been practicing hard this season, however, the team knew they needed a new approach in practice. And it even began last week before the Iowa game.

“We knew we had to make a change because we knew this was the type of game we’re going to play so we have to keep that consistent,” the fifth-year senior said. “We have to play with an edge because we know we have to dominate every time we play and if we can’t do it in practice then we can’t do it in the game.”

Tight end Gee Scott, Jr. said the foundation of their team is built on toughness. But saying it and doing it are two different things. He agreed that there seemed to be a change in attitude last week when certain position groups were challenged.

“Ever since then, there has been another step that we’ve taken but that’s the whole goal,” said Scott. “I hope in two or three weeks from now, there’s another step that we take forward from where we’re at now. That’s just the evolution of getting better as a team.”

On Saturday, the second-ranked Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) will go toe-to-toe with the third-rated Ducks (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) in Eugene, Ore. for only the second time ever. The first was on Oct. 7, 1967, when the Ducks hosted the Buckeyes in the newly constructed Autzen Stadium as their second opponent that season. Ohio State won, 30-0.

Saturday will mark the 11th time the schools have met with the Scarlet and Gray holding a decisive 9-1 edge. The last contest, though, Oregon notched their first win - which was three years ago in Ohio Stadium, 35-28.

Simon said he felt they weren’t prepared well enough when the Ducks came to town in 2021.

“I can remember back to that time and I don’t think we were prepared mentally and physically,” the fifth-year senior said.

However, three years later, someone changed the record and it’s a completely different tune being played.

“It’s a different team now, a different everything. We have a different mindset and we’re ready to just attack and play our game.”

One thing that will definitely be different for this year’s team is playing in a place like Autzen Stadium. It only holds 54,000 but its unique design and close proximity of seats lend an acoustic  barrage of noise unlike any other in America. That’s why the Buckeyes have been practicing a silent count this week.

“I can bet in my gut that it’ll get pretty loud so the silent count is going to be pretty helpful,” said offensive tackle Josh Fryar.

The game kicks off at 7:30 EST and airs on NBC.