Ohio State HC Ryan Day On Upcoming Schedule: 'It's About Surviving And Moving On'

Ohio State was ranked No. 5 in the first batch of College Football Rankings on Tuesday night, but head coach Ryan Day knows his team can't afford a slip up.

That already happened once, a 35-28 defeat against No. 4 Oregon inside the Horseshoe on Sept. 11. That was a different Buckeyes team though, and OSU has rattled off six consecutive wins in the aftermath. They are suddenly No. 2 in the NCAA in total offense and have averaged 50.8 points per game in that stretch.

However, Coach Day says that the "March Madness"-like schedule ahead will ultimately determine the Buckeyes' fate.

“I think when you look at college football right now, it’s about surviving and moving on,” Day said after OSU's 33-24 win over Penn State on Saturday. “Especially with the teams that we're playing and that's all we can worry about. And you know, we’re playing some really good teams here moving forward. Going on the road next week, it’s going to be a big challenge for us because you got to bring it every week.

"And I think that’s what you’re seeing across the board, the guys that do bring it every week are being rewarded. And we got to do that, we got to keep doing it and it’s one-game seasons — it’s March Madness and you win, you survive, you move on and that’s where we’re at right now. And we have to bring it every week because a lot of these teams are dangerous and capable of beating us."

The upcoming schedule is no cake walk this time around for the Buckeyes. After a road tilt against Nebraska and matchup at home against Purdue, it becomes gut check time for Day's team. OSU will host No. 3 Michigan State on Nov. 20. Then it's back on the road to face No. 7 Michigan in the Big House on Nov. 27 at noon.

Those four games will determine where OSU goes this season. A Big Ten Championship Game berth is first on the to-do list. Survive and move on, as Day said, and a spot into the College Football Playoff should await them.