Rutgers coach Greg Schiano says altercation with Ryan Day, Ohio State 'feels like years ago'
To Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano, his verbal altercation with Ohio State coach Ryan Day during the fourth quarter of the Buckeyes' 49-10 2022 rout against the Scarlet Knights "feels like years ago."
"I think that's the distant past," Schiano told reporters Monday.
After a late hit by then-Rutgers wide receiver Aron Cruickshank which knocked down Ohio State punter Jesse Mirco, Schiano remembered a swarm of Buckeye players surrounding his player, who was ejected for a personal foul.
Both Day and Schiano stood at the 35-yard line helping defend their players.
“It was just one coach defending their side, one coach defending theirs,” Day said after the win last season. “No hard feelings. I have an unbelievable amount of respect for him.”
A year later, Schiano confirmed the altercation was not about Ohio State's fourth-down conversion on what seemed like a fake punt while the Buckeyes' were up by more than five touchdowns.
"It had nothing to do with the fake punt," Schiano said. "It had to do with protecting our player who was on their sideline who was surrounded and was bring pushed around. That fake punt wasn't called. It was our fault. We didn't put an edge to the punt block, and the kid was taught to roll and if it's there, take it. No, it was truly protecting our player."
After the game in 2022, Schiano said he and Day are "good friends" and that there was "no problem" between them.
Schiano spent three seasons as Ohio State's defensive coordinator from 2016-18, two of which were spent with Day. Day took over the program from Urban Meyer in 2019 and did not retain Schiano as coordinator, instead hiring Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley as co-coordinators.
Schiano returned to Rutgers for his second stint as its head coach in 2020.
Ohio State will kick off against Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey at noon Saturday on CBS.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Greg Schiano remembers 2022 altercation with Ryan Day, Ohio State
