Ohio State coach Ryan Day has issued a stark warning about the Buckeyes’ special teams ahead of their Week 6 clash with Maryland, saying the unit must improve immediately to avoid costly errors. Speaking at Tuesday’s media availability, Day was blunt about the lack of progress in special teams play, which has been a recurring problem for the program over recent seasons.
Day pointed to the team’s national ranking of 116th in punt return average as evidence of the unit’s struggles. “I don’t think I can sit here and say that we’ve improved on special teams right now. We need to play better. And that’s everybody included,” Day said. “We need to make sure that we’re getting better production out of the special teams. When we play against certain teams, teams will try to steal a possession. So there’s times where we have to make sure that we’re covering our bases.”
He specifically called out kicking consistency and return yardage as areas that have not met expectations. “When we look at the consistency of kicking field goals, not good enough. When we look at our return yards, we need to do better just across the board. And we have an opportunity to pooch the ball into the 10-yard line. That has to get done. So it’s a challenge to everybody in the program. We’ve got to get better in all four phases of special teams.”
Ohio State’s special teams woes have contributed to setbacks in recent years, including losses to Indiana and Texas, as well as other critical moments where the unit failed to capitalize or protect possessions. Despite the defense’s efforts to halt opposing offenses, the special teams have not provided a meaningful boost.
Beyond special teams, Day addressed the ongoing questions around Ohio State’s offensive line, which has seen inconsistent performances and injury disruptions. The team is hopeful to have starting right tackle Phillip Daniels back soon after an extended absence. Daniels, a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2025 with 14 career starts, could add stability and depth to the line.
Day confirmed that the coaching staff is still deciding how to manage the offensive line rotation. “I’ve always felt like you don’t lose a position just because you get injured. That being said, I think there’s a little bit of rhythm going on right there, so we’ll have to identify that as it goes,” he said. “We thought Phil would’ve been back a little bit sooner. He’ll be limited today. We’ll see how he looks today. Hopefully, we can get him going with some scout work throughout the middle of the week, and hopefully, we can get him available for this game. Once he is available, we’ll figure out how many snaps he can take and then how we would rotate that in the game.”
Day also spoke about the healthy competition developing among the running backs, highlighting the tandem of Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson. Ja’Kobi, who started against Iowa, has impressed with six touchdowns on 45 carries, while Bo leads the team with 66 carries, 353 yards, and two touchdowns. Day emphasized the importance of competition in driving performance.
“Everybody needs to feel pressure, and everybody needs to feel competition,” Day said. “We’re challenging a lot of different people, and it’s a good thing. When Quinshon and TreVeyon were working together, they were challenging each other every day. I think Quinshon really helped TreVeyon in a lot of ways, and I think vice versa. It’s the same thing here. Ja’Kobi’s coming in, and I think he’s pushing Bo, but it’s a great relationship. And I think it’s a healthy relationship, and I think it’s a healthy competition.”
As Ohio State prepares to face Maryland this Saturday in Columbus, Day’s comments make clear that the Buckeyes’ special teams will be under close scrutiny, with improvements required across every phase. The offensive line situation remains fluid pending Daniels’ health, while the running back group continues to adapt to internal competition.
According to Yahoo Sports.