Ryan Day has had a lot in the past few months. He has endured unbridled heat from the Texas fanbase over that gut-wrenching Michigan loss for the fourth time in a row. Day received even death threats over the texts from some lunatic Buckeyes fans for not being able to win the big games. But his story stood out because he kept quiet, fought back, and shut them down with a Natty. Did that mark the end of arguably the most controversial head coach’s misery at Columbus? Well, no. It just took a different shape than it was before. Ohio State has seen a major player outflow from the championship roster. They lost some gems on the coaching front as well, including the game-winning coordinators.

Losing Jim Knowles in the offense has been a major blow to the defending champion’s confidence, less than a week after winning the national championship. Knowles, one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, announced his departure, and the entire Buckeyes nation scrambled down to its roots. Day has taken the challenge up front to find a replacement for an incredible coach who led the team in both scoring and defense, and coaching defense, within a few weeks of strategic scouting. He vested a whopping &7.5 million on a coach with 19 years of NFL experience, Matt Patricia.

How did the decision make sense in a rear-view mirror? In a heartfelt discussion with NBC Sports, Day came clean on his call. All he looked for was “somebody that was willing to come in and work with the guys that were already in the room.” Day said the search “was critical because those are great coaches. Not everybody wants to do that. They want to bring their own guys in, and so I felt like you know the fact that he was willing to work with Tim and then work with the rest of the staff was important.” 

Buckeyes co-defensive coordinator Tim Walton and Patricia share a deep bond that dates back to their tenure together in Syracuse. Walton used to serve as the DB coach while Patricia left, stunned by his flawless execution as a graduate assistant. Finally, years later, the magnetic duo again crossed paths in the Ohio State coaching room. Expect nothing but pure magic to stem from a familiar coaching coalition.

But it’s not just the familiarity that Day has been looking for a fix. He thoroughly followed the Patriots’ growth and improvement and how they triggered the highest potential out of each. “I also really enjoyed his background, just in terms of the different styles of fronts that they played with the Patriots, where they could adjust what they did. Day continued the hype train, “If you watch how they evolved over the years from when they were 34 to when they were four down, when they were five down, like they really put their players in a position to be successful.”

But it’s not just the hype on pen and paper. Patricia goes there and makes the best out of his day. Heading to the offseason, he is honing his bond and newfound relations with the players. “He spends time with him on and off the field, great communication, great feedback. He has credibility. There’s a lot of energy,” Day showcased unwavering confidence in his choice. But does the old sting still hurt? How badly did the bite ache in the first place?

Ryan Day broke the silence on Jim Knowles’ costly departure 

Losing your cornerstone is never easy. But it’s not the end of the world either. All you want is to stay poised in your power. A “rift” had reportedly been brewing between Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles following the regular-season loss at Oregon.

Things changed for Ohio State’s defense following that game, but at what cost? There might have been some tension in the air between Day and Knowles. That’s at least what Alex Gleitman suggested it to be. The silent war seemed to take a pear shape when Day enhanced his scrutiny over the defense, and it subsequently clashed with Knowles’ independent strategy. But addressing the feud and the inevitable loss, Day maintained his poise.

“He certainly did a great job when he was here, you know, when we first got here, we were struggling a little bit in terms of our identity on defense. He came in and certainly changed that over the three years.” Day focused only on the good part, ” he was here, and I have nothing but respect for him.” Someone said moving on indicates a complete dissolution of the grudges. Did you smell that satisfaction in Day’s tone? Matt Patricia has all the weight on his shoulders to make it last longer.