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Ryan Day on Matt Patricia Ohio State DC debut: 'It was a good start'

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko09/02/25nickkosko59
USATSI_25870626 (1)
Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ryan Day knew what he was getting out of Matt Patricia when he brought him onto the Ohio State staff this year. The new Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator put up a masterclass in a 14-7 win over previous No. 1 Texas.

Patricia was known for his defensive prowess when he coached under Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. But a head coaching stint with the Detroit Lions and a less than stellar assistant stint with the Philadelphia Eagles marred what he used to be able to do.

Well, he turned back the clock and gave Ohio State a huge boost Saturday. Moving forward, that’s the expectation as the Buckeyes try to repeat this year.

“First off, I’ve known Matt for a while,” Day said on The Herd. “I know the type of person he is. He’s a great man. He’s a great husband, great father, and he really, early on, built relationships and trust within the building in a short period of time with the staff … Tim Walton, Matt Guerrieri, Larry Johnson, James Laurinaitis.

”And the players deserve a ton of the credit but that being said, you know Matt put it all together, and it’s only a start we had a long way to go, but certainly you know for the first game of the year, with an in-experienced group going on the field, it was a good start.” 

It was Day’s first instinct to credit Patricia and the defense immediately following the win. If the Buckeyes can do that against a talented team like Texas, imagine the rest of the schedule!

“Well, he did a great job,” Day said of Patricia to FOX’s Jenny Taft postgame. “Our staff did a great job. I thought the play coming in was excellent. They kept fighting. I can’t say enough about these guys for the first game coming out and playing like this. It’s just a start. We got a lot to improve on. But yeah, defense really did a great job all night. A lot of respect for Arch and for Sark and they’re gonna have a great season. But man, what a great win for us to start off with such a young group.”

Texas had 336 total yards, but Ohio State forced numerous turnovers on downs during the game. They also forced an interception from Arch Manning, limiting the Longhorns to just one score.