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Ohio State adjusting to new normal

• Buckeyes doing a lot of virtual work due to coronavirus

Ohio State University football coach Ryan Day gestures during a practice in Columbus. Ohio State’s spring practice was canceled earlier this month because of the coronavirus outbreak. The spring game was scheduled for April 11 and it, too, has been canceled.

In normal times, the Ohio State Buckeyes would be preparing for Wednesday’s spring football practice, their ninth, as they continue to build up to the culmination of the spring with the annual Scarlet and Gray game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, April 11.

But, because of the world-wide coronavirus pandemic, these are nowhere near normal times in any walk of life, especially that of major college football.

Campuses across the country are empty, student-athletes are taking classes online and spring practices and games are all canceled.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, who had his first teleconference with the media since the COVID-19 pandemic led to the shutdown of basically the entire sporting world last week, referred to the present as “very strange and unique times.”

He’s spot on, too.

Instead of working long hours in his plush office inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Day, like so many is working from his home in suburban Columbus, practicing social distancing as best as he can.

“Up until (this shutdown), I’d never used my home office,” Day said. “We’re trying (as a family) to get into a routine. I work in the morning, we have lunch and then workout as a family and then, late in the afternoon, it’s back to work.”

Along with doing a lot of film study, Day checks in with his entire staff daily. Some people — like strength coach Mickey Marotti — hear from Day multiple times.

“We’re constantly trying to figure out where the issues are and where we need to go next,” Day said. “It’s just a lot of phone calls, FaceTimeing and a lot of film.”

The majority of the Buckeye players have headed home for the remainder of the spring term and beyond until the campus is re-opened.

Until the players converge back in Columbus (whenever that may be), Day and his staff have formulated a plan to remain in touch with their players.

“We have two conference calls a week as a staff, and we go through just about every kid and each area (academics, strength and conditioning, football),” Day said. “I send our messages (to the players) as many times as I can, whether it’s a video message or a text. We’re also visiting with the leadership committee and making sure those guys are doing the best they can to communicate with their (position groups).”

Like many of us, major college football coaches and players are creatures of habit.

Their calendar shapes up something like this:

∫ January and February are reserved for strength training and conditioning with the strength staff and coaches are on the road recruiting;

∫ March through mid April is spring practice;

∫ April and May the players are wrapping up academics and back with the strength coaches and the coaches hit the road recruiting;

∫ June brings camps and the incoming freshmen report and begin the summer academic term;

∫ July is kind of a couple of down weeks for the players and more strength and conditioning, while coaches squeeze in vacation;

∫ August is camp and it’s onward to the season from there, obviously.

Though the schedule has been clearly manipulated and there’s no definitive date for resumption, Day won’t let himself, staff or players get too far ahead of themselves.

Quite frankly, it does no good.

“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Day said. “We’re not sure what the future brings. Each week kind of unveils something new coming down the road, so we’re just going to keep doing the best we can. When it’s appropriate, we need to forecast and plan for something, but there’s just so many things that could happen and you can stress yourself out, worrying about it when maybe it doesn’t even happen.”

Many college football programs look at spring practice as the time at which the players make their biggest improvements in terms of skills and technique because once August camps rolls around, they’re shifting into preparing for a specific season and opponent.

Because he’s not been through such a thing where the facilities are shutdown and it’s basically hands off the athletes, he’s not sure how things will turn out.

“I think a lot of it has to do with how long the quarantine lasts and what kind of shape our guys can stay in in this period,” Day said.

With the Buckeyes laced with veterans in so many key spots, including quarterback offensive line, linebacker and defensive line, Day believes those members of his leadership committee won’t be allowing anyone to slack off.

“The accountability is at an all-time high in terms of our guys making sure that these guys are doing what they to do,” Day said. “The older guys know what they’re supposed to do; the younger guys need a little bit more guidance, but character is really shown when nobody’s looking and this is the ultimate test of that.”

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