"It’s been unbelievable" Matt Patricia gets 100% real about Ryan Day's influence in landing Ohio State job

The Ohio State Buckeyes appointed Matt Patricia as their defensive coordinator ahead of the 2025 college football season. It was Patricia's first job in college football since 2003 when he was a graduate assistant at Syracuse.

Ohio State insider Chase Brown took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to write about Patricia's experience with the Buckeyes thus far. Brown wrote that Patricia's relationships with Ryan Day and Tim Walton played a significant role in his decision to coach for the Buckeyes.

The three-time Super Bowl-winning assistant coach said,

"It’s been unbelievable. This place is amazing. The fans are great, the stadium atmosphere, just all of it, the walk — my kids are in awe."

Patricia continued,

"They’ve seen some really cool things in sports, but this has been unbelievable for them."

Patricia joined the Ohio State Buckeyes after the departure of former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. It was a mild surprise as Patricia was still getting interest around the NFL.

However, it's now clear that Ryan Day played a major role in convincing him to take his first coordinator role at the collegiate level. He's now looking to help the Buckeyes go back-to-back in 2025.

Matt Patricia's Ohio State defense has impressed in 2025

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the No. 1-ranked team in the country, and a significant reason for that ranking is their defense. The Matt Patricia-coached defense is the stingiest in all of college football, and a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have held six of their seven opponents to fewer than 10 points in 2025. The only team to beat the 10-point mark is Illinois, which was handily beaten 34-16. Patricia's defense is No. 1 in the nation in points allowed (5.9 per game) and second in yards allowed (216.9).

The Buckeyes' defense has let the offense adapt to new starting quarterback Julian Sayin. The promising shot caller isn't under any pressure to play hero ball as the Buckeyes' defense is keeping opponents honest at the other end of the Gridiron.

The Buckeyes are a few wins away from securing their postseason berth. They'll be a tough side to break down with Matt Patricia on defensive coordinator duties. It'll take an inspired effort to breach such a well-drilled defense come the business end of the season.

Edited by Nick Igbokwe