4 things we learned from Tuesday's Ohio State football press conferences

Ohio State is back from its off week and is preparing for a visit from Iowa.

The last time the teams played was in 2017, when Iowa steamrolled the favored Buckeyes 55-24 in Iowa City. The loss kept Ohio State out of the College Football Playoff.

This is a much different Hawkeyes team than the last one OSU faced. Iowa’s defense is stout – seventh in the country in total defense and third in scoring defense – but its offense is putrid. Iowa’s offense has scored only 70 points in six games.

That's the reason No. 2 Ohio State is favored by almost 30 points. On Tuesday, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles spoke at OSU’s weekly press conference.

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Here’s what stood out from their remarks:

Ryan Day declines to give injury update

Ohio State is hoping to get several players back from injury, most notably wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Miyan Williams. Smith-Njigba has battled a hamstring injury all season and hasn’t played since the Toledo game on Sept. 17. Williams missed Ohio State’s last game against Michigan State.

Day resists divulging much injury information and didn’t make an exception this week when that was the first question directed at him.

“Funny you asked,” Day said with a laugh. “Right now, we’re not going to give any injury updates. But then as we get closer to the end of the week, we’ll have a better idea.”

From the way Wilson talked, it didn’t sound as if Smith-Njigba’s return is imminent.

“I was talking to a scout today about how his injury is dragging,” Wilson said. “I said he’s a great player, and (the scout) said, ‘Coach, he was here in preseason and he had like seven touchdown catches one day.’ He’s a great practice player. I look forward to getting him back.”

Ohio State Buckeyes 're-energized' after week off

Ohio State’s off week came at the midway point of the season, and it gave the team a chance to work on fundamentals before a weekend break. The team convened again on Monday.

“I think the energy has been really good,” Day said. “I think our guys have had a lot of juice about them even in the off week. Sometimes you feel a lull during that time. I don't feel like that at all.

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“But it's great to get them back. A couple of days away re-energized them even more coming back into the Woody yesterday.”

When in the office between recruiting trips, coaches took the breather to evaluate and self-reflect. Day said that extends to basics such as how players stretch before practice and how the team conducts meetings.

Day said the team’s emphasis on fundamentals and technique is especially timely given the challenge Iowa's defense poses.

“That’s what Iowa does such a great job with,” Day said. “They’re very, very good with their pad level, great with their hands. They understand their offense and defense better than you. That’s their goal. You can tell that. And they play good complementary football.”

Struggling Ohio State cornerbacks make progress

Ohio State's cornerbacks are the only position group that's been a disappointment in Knowles' defense. Sophomore Denzel Burke and senior Cam Brown were expected to be standouts. But each has missed time with injuries and have been beaten repeatedly for big plays, even when they’ve seemingly been in position to prevent them.

Getting them back on track was a priority during the off week as they went against Ohio State’s elite passing game.

“I thought they looked good,” Knowles said. “More times than not against our guys, you're not going to look good. But you do learn from even the plays you don't make, and you can coach off of it.

"So I thought we had a good week, and we challenged (them). It always goes back to me. Am I mixing the coverages enough? Am I making the quarterback hold the ball for an extra second – all those things that result in the matchup on the outside? But I think those guys worked hard and had a good week.”

Added Day: “I think they've been working hard at practice. I think they understand where they need to get better. We'll find out more on Saturday. That's the ultimate test. But the preparation is there. I think the attention is there. I think the work is there.”

Ryan Day hasn't forgotten 2017 Iowa debacle

Day and Wilson were in their first year on Ohio State’s staff under Urban Meyer when the No. 3 Buckeyes went to Kinnick Stadium as a 21-point favorite following a dramatic win against Penn State.

On the game’s first snap, Iowa intercepted quarterback J.T. Barrett for a pick-six, and it didn’t get better after that. Star defensive end Nick Bosa was ejected for targeting late in the second quarter, and the defense collapsed. The 31-point loss matched the most lopsided in Meyer’s OSU tenure.

No players remain from that team, but the coaches still on staff remember it well.

“That's a scar that doesn't go away,” Day said. “I've felt it this week, for sure. That was a tough day for all of us. Anytime you have a scar like that, it's real. We've talked about it a lot to our staff. We talked a lot about it to our players, and we'll continue to talk about it.

“This team is always difficult to beat. It doesn't matter what year it is. That year was no different than it is this year.”

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football press conferences: Takeaways from Tuesday