Ryan Day reveals level of involvement in Ohio State's defense

No. 3 Ohio State wasn’t satisfied with what it got out of its defense a year ago, moving on from defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs to bring in Oklahoma State‘s Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator. But how much involvement on defense does Ryan Day have as head coach now with a first-year coordinator?

Not a ton, per the head man.

“On Sunday we come in, meet with the offense, go through the film,” Day explained this week. “Then on Sunday go do the same thing with the defense. We talk about personnel, we talk about schematics, we talk about what’s coming ahead, what we need to get done during the week. And as the week goes on just have discussions about things that are going on in practice and personnel on the other side, schematics.”

Knowles, a long-time veteran in the industry, runs a fairly aggressive and complex defense that can take a little while to learn. But the Buckeyes have seemingly picked up his scheme quite well early on.

Ohio State ranks No. 18 nationally in total defense and is tied for No. 21 in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 16.0 points per game.

With things going well, Day has limited his involvement to normal back-and-forth about plans with the unit and decisions on playing time for individual players.

“I try to be someone to just kind of throw ideas off, looking at it through the offensive side of the things,” Day said. “Then obviously just the culture of the team is more where I’m involved with those guys, special teams. But the schematics and the day-to-day stuff, that’s really all him.”

Ryan Day’s involvement on defense mostly on as-needed basis

Credit Day, the fourth-year Buckeyes coach, with allowing his veteran coordinator to go to work. Many young head coaches end up over-involved with the side of the ball that isn’t their specialty, resulting in conflict behind closed doors.

That doesn’t appear to be the case at all at Ohio State, though staff synergy is usually easier to come by when you’re winning.

And the Buckeyes are certainly doing that, out to a 4-0 start and having given up a maximum of 21 points in a game.

So Day is being careful to make sure he doesn’t overstep his bounds.

“I try, because I’ve been there before,” Day said. “I feel like when I say something as the head coach, people usually overreact, that’s just the way it is.

“Now Jim has been great. He doesn’t do that. Sometimes he allows me to say things and he takes it in and we have a discussion about it. He’s very, very intelligent that way. But at the end of the day I want him to trust his instincts on things.”

Knowles shouldn’t need a whole lot of help in the next three weeks, either. The next three opponents for the Buckeyes — Rutgers, Michigan State and Iowa — rank 97th, 85th and 131st (or dead last) nationally in total offense.

Ohio State and Rutgers will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, with a broadcast on the Big Ten Network.