Nearly one year ago, Ryan Day sat at the Longaberger Alumni House, just a one-mile drive away from the stadium in which he spent Saturday afternoon, and told everyone staring at the newly named Ohio State head coach to “expect a team that's going to be tough.”
He then spent the entire offseason, preseason and first couple months of the season repeating the word “toughness.” He viewed that as the identity Ohio State needs this season to reach its potential. A tough, physical group that needs to maximize its talent.
Yet in the first 10 games of the season – all of which ended in victories of 24 or more points – the Buckeyes didn't have to show much toughness.