Ryan Day shares new uplifting message to Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate before Ohio State-IU

Ryan Day shares new uplifting message to Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate before Ohio State-IU originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Big Ten title game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers is six days away, as both teams are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation, respectively..

A major key in the Buckeyes' 27-9 regular season finale win against the Michigan Wolverines was the emergence of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate as a wide receiver tandem as both returned from injury.

Day told reporters after the game that Smith and Tate, who combined for two receiving touchdowns, that he was pleased with their resilience while also recognizing what was at stake entering the final week of the regular season.

“If you really knew how much work they put in to get on the field and how gutsy they are — I’m sure the fans and everybody would appreciate what they did in going out there and putting it on the line.”

Day said he was particularly impressed with Smith's performance in particular, living up to the preseason quote about how much he despises the Wolverines.

“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith told The Athletic. “In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs. But I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.”

Although Day didn't directly reference Smith's prior comments, he said he was enthralled at the way Smith handled his emotions in-game which translated to a productive afternoon.

“For him to play the way he did with really not getting many reps all week is just a tribute to him,” Day said.

Entering the conference title game, Day had some parting words for the Buckeyes.

"Regular season's over, now it's time to go ... we're playing for hardware," Day said Sunday. "That's the other part about this team that I think is good. They saw the run that we went on last year. They saw what it takes.".

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, as the two teams last met over a year ago with the Buckeyes prevailing in Columbus.