Day vows to make defensive adjustments following Oregon loss

Ohio State coach Ryan Day promised Tuesday to make major changes to his defense following last week's 35-28 loss to Oregon, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

Day said the adjustments will come both in-game and "structurally, how we're doing our day-to-day operations," although he didn't go into specifics.

The coach explained that he's making defensive alterations because he's noticed "a little bit of a pattern," not just because of one game. Ohio State has surrendered 118 points in its last three contests, dating back to last season's national championship game against Alabama.

Additionally, the Buckeyes' loss to Oregon marked their first home defeat since 2017 and their first regular-season loss under Day.

The 42-year-old Day also confirmed that Kerry Coombs - who previously worked as an Ohio State assistant under Urban Meyer from 2012-17 - will remain the defensive coordinator. However, Day wouldn't reveal who'd handle play-calling duties against Tulsa on Saturday. The coach did say he'll be more involved in managing the team's defense.

"We are all taking a hard look at everything we're doing, from scheme to our structure and all those types of things, and what gives us the best chance to ... win the game," Day said. "No hard decisions have been made that way."

The Buckeyes will test their defensive adjustments without safety Josh Proctor, who'll miss the remainder of the season following leg surgery.