Ohio State football: Ryan Day and Greg Schiano call-in show highlights

For the third and presumably last time, acting coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano replaced Urban Meyer on the Ohio State coach’s radio show Thursday afternoon.

Meyer returns to all of his duties starting Monday after serving a three-game suspension. With Ohio State’s game against No. 15 TCU two days away, Day and Schiano discussed the Buckeyes’ progress and the challenges the Horned Frogs will pose.

Here are highlights:

*Day on quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr.: "He's working really hard in his preparation. When you work in the meeting room as a quarterback you have to spend so much time preparing for the game. You have to recognize what the coverage is going to be, visualize it and put it on the field.”

*Day on Haskins' 79 percent completion percentage (and Martell's 100 percent): "It does start with protection. Protection has to be there so they can set their feet. We have such a big line that you have to look over the trees. You have to find your passing lanes. When you can set your feet, that’s huge. And the routes and spacing have been great."

*Day said Rutgers blitzed a lot but blockers adjusted well and receivers ran good routes and got open.

*Day on TCU coach Gary Patterson coming up with wrinkles for this game: Said Patterson has done this well for a long time and the Buckeyes must be able to make adjustments on the fly.

*Day said TCU is built to handle tempo because it's common in the Big 12. "We have to dictate the tempo. We can't let them dictate the tempo."

*Day said communication on the offensive line, particularly the left side with new players will be critical vs. TCU.

*Day on Michael Jordan's move from LG to C: "Moving from guard to center is a big change for Mike. You have to snap the ball and make the calls and tell the guys on both sides of you what to do. He’s getting better at it all the time.”

*Day on Martell's playing time: "I think it's great to get him out there. For the first time, we got to see what he can do." Said ability to take that big shot on the sideline and return to run for a long TD was a great sign, as was, obviously, his 10-for-10 passing. Day said Martell wanted to play the next play after he got the wind knocked out of him. He couldn't by rule because he had to be tended to.

*Day said that because Martell is short, he always has to know where his “escape hatch” is.

*Day on OSU's running backs Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins: "When those guys get to the second level, they're making those guys miss."

*Day on Johnnie Dixon and returning from the knee injury: "He's had adversity along the way. ... When he's in front of the team, the guys are listening."

*Day on WR Austin Mack: "Austin is a really good route runner. He's really strong. He and Ben (Victor) are the ones we count on to win those 1-on-1 battles in the boundary."

*Day on challenges of going on the road: "It's a business trip." Said veterans will disabuse young players of notion that it's sort of a field trip.

*Day: "You feel when you go on the road it's you against the world." But he knows there will be plenty of Buckeye fans in Arlington.

*Day on 16 true freshmen seeing playing time. Said there was discussion at end of Rutgers game about whether to use guys wisely so they don't burn the four games they get before burning their redshirt eligibility.

*Day on LT Thayer Munford: "He's doing a good job. Kind of thrown in there this year and he's handled it well. Josh (Alabi) is doing a nice job, too. We have two good tackles we feel we can put into the game at any time."

*Day on Haskins seeing the whole field: "I think that when you play QB, your eyes have to be on the right spot." First with protection and then scanning the field for coverage.

*Greg Schiano on the defense's play vs Rutgers: "They came out ready to play and it wasn't just the starters. Everyone did their job pretty well."

*Schiano on Nick Bosa: "The defensive line is playing very well and certainly Nick is the leader of that crew. He's made some incredible plays already." Said that defensive end isn’t just a position Bosa plays. “He doesn't just play it. He kind of lives it."

*Schiano on TCU QB Shawn Robinson: Said he's got a strong arm and is a talented runner who's almost like a RB. Said Buckeyes must be very disciplined.

*Schiano on middle linebacker Tuf Borland: Said he's still showing some rust but has a knack of being near the football.

*Schiano on the OSU linebackers: "We're going to play more than three even in close games" because more than three deserve to play. Mentions Dante Booker and Justin Hilliard as other guys who'll play.

*Schiano on safety Jordan Fuller returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the opener: "It was good to have him back. He knows the scheme so well and can get everybody so straight. And when things break down, he can get the ball-carrier on the ground. That can be taken for granted."

*Schiano said the other safety spot is still up for grab. But said Isaiah Pryor made strides iweek 2 in consistency. Said competition may go on for a bit with Pryor, Jahsen Wint, Brendon White and Shaun Wade. Wade is a CB who has impressed enough that coaches want to see more.

*Schiano on DE Chase Young: "He is really progressing. He's a big, big man who is very athletic. When you have him on the other side of Nick, it poses issues for offensive coordinators."

*Schiano on TCU's offensive line: "I think this is a really good offensive line. They're very physical, they're athletic and they're big. By far the biggest test we've had. They remind me of a very good Big Ten offensive line."

*Schiano said DE Jonathon Cooper is on the cusp of making a big impact: "Coop is just a grinder. His time is going to come."

*Schiano on kickoffs and the new fair-catch rule: "Common sense will tell you to fair catch it unless you get a poor kick."

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