"Sometimes, I would roll my ankle out of nowhere. Now that doesn’t happen, though."
Ohio State replaced the turf at Ohio Stadium this summer after it drew criticism from fans, who were quick to point out how much the green "grass" and scarlet end zones had faded since it was installed ahead of the 2014 season.
The players weren't exactly happy with the playing surface, either, as they had to be a little more cautious in order to avoid slipping when cutting or – worse – injuring themselves when falling to the hard ground.
“(It’s) way better. Way better. I’m glad they finally got that done,” sophomore running back TreVeyon Henderson said during his media availability on Wednesday night. “It was very slippery. Sometimes, I would roll my ankle out of nowhere. Now that doesn’t happen, though.”
The Buckeyes have practiced in Ohio Stadium several times this fall, as well as on a new turf field inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, which features the same design – save for the Safelite Field markings.
That’s why Henderson, who rushed for 839 yards and 11 touchdowns in seven games at home last year, already feels comfortable with the new playing surface ahead of Saturday’s season opener against Notre Dame.
“We’ve been practicing on the new turf and it feels great now,” Henderson said. “It’s softer. A lot of the turf last year was very hard. It’s safety (and we’re) able to cut better and stuff.”
Junior wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba echoed Henderson’s sentiments, as he notably caught just 44 passes for 715 yards in seven games at home compared to 51 receptions for 891 yards away from Ohio Stadium, including on the pristine natural grass field at the Rose Bowl.
“It looks good and it feels good, so we’re ready to bounce around on it,” Smith-Njigba said of the new surface. “Being out there, I’m just more confident in my cuts, for real. We were kind of slipping a little bit last year, so there’s just more confidence (in the surface). It’s good to always have that.”
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