Ohio State head coach Ryan Day talked to the media Monday on co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley accepting a head coaching job at Boston College, updates on recruiting, the emotions behind the Heisman speech from former OSU quarterback and current LSU signal caller Joe Burrow, as well as the upcoming matchup against No. 3 Clemson in the College Football Playoff.
- Day on replacing Jeff Hafley: “We’re going to get the best in America because it’s Ohio State.”
- On having Hafley and Greg Mattison as co-defensive coordinators: “When you bring in one guy to run the whole thing” and then he leaves, that’s a problem.
- Day: “In this world, if you go to a place like Ohio State and you do well,” then they won’t be here long. Said he would rather get the best coordinators in the country than someone who would be here for seven or eight years.
- Day compared doing well in the important times of the game — ends of halves, start of quarters — to the success that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has had with his team in those moments.
- “When you put recruiting into it, you have two weeks to prepare this game.” Day said he has not had any time to reflect on the season he has had so far.
- “If you want to be known as one of the best of all-time … and you want to be in rare air, here we go.”
- Day said if linebackers coach Al Washington wanted to take a defensive coordinator position at Boston College with Halfey, he would be “shocked … I don’t see that happening at all.”
- Said Joe Burrow winning the Heisman Trophy “couldn’t have happened to a better person.”
- Day on Clemson’s defense: “A lot of skill, a lot of speed. They do a great job of changing up looks. The back end is as good as we’ll see … historically over the last decade or more, Brent Venables” has been one of the best defensive coordinators in the country.
- Day said he has not watched the 31-0 Ohio State loss to Clemson all that much.
- Day on being in a similar position as Hafley last season: “I thought Jeff handled that the right way … he’s going to a great place, Boston College is a great place … they’ll do something good there, he’ll do a good job.”
- Day said Shaun Wade has been doing a good job, and that this week of practice will give a better idea of where he is at health wise.
- Day on keeping recruits on board with Hafley’s absence: “These guys chose this school for Ohio State and for what we are doing on defense, and the defense isn’t going to change.”
- Day on Justin Fields’ health: “I think with this rest, he’s going to be at 100 percent.”
- Day expects all five defensive back commits to stay committed to Ohio State for 2020 and sign on Wednesday.
- Day had no updated on the status of safety Brendon White after White put his name in the transfer portal this past week.
- Ryan Day on Joe Burrow’s emotional Heisman speech: “That was just him being himself … Talking about class? There’s not a classier guy out there.”
