Larry Johnson Sr. says move from Penn State to Ohio State is ‘best decision’ he’s made

By this point, the matchup between Penn State and Ohio State is one in which the two teams are intimately familiar with one another. The two sides need no introductions when they meet on the gridiron, as the connections between the programs weave onto the recruiting trail and locker rooms. Perhaps the best example of this comes from Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr., who was a mainstay in Happy Valley for nearly two decades. Now firmly a Buckeye, the former Penn State football coach spoke about his decision to come to Ohio State in the hours leading up to Saturday’s epic top-10 showdown.

Former Penn State football coach calls move to Ohio State the “best decision” he’s made

Longtime Penn State football fans require no background on Larry Johnson. Johnson served on the Nittany Lions coaching staff under Joe Paterno and Bill O’Brien from 1996 to 2013. He did not stay in Happy Valley when James Franklin was hired, instead joining the Ohio State coaching staff in 2014.

Johnson joined Ryan Day on Ohio State’s weekly radio show on Thursday. When asked about his move to Ohio State, the former Penn State football coach expressed no regret about the decision.

“It’s been fun,” Johnson said on The Ryan Day Show. “I left in 2014 to come here, and this has been probably the best decision I’ve made in a long time. To come to a place where people are very passionate about football. And I love that part about it. And the fans are very adamant about their Buckeyes.”

Johnson also noted that while he may not enjoy being on the opposing sideline when the Buckeyes roll into Happy Valley, he does appreciate the atmosphere in Columbus when his former program comes to town.

“I’m not looking forward to the White Out, but I’m looking forward to the Scarlet Out on Saturday to get after these guys,” he said.

Larry Johnson breaks down the Penn State offense

Larry Johnson didn’t participate in Ohio State’s radio show just because of his familiarity with the Penn State football program. The matchup between his defensive front and the Nittany Lion offensive line could be one of the deciding factors in Saturday’s matchup.

“They’re athletic guys,” Johnson said of the Penn State offensive line. “I think their whole front is really big. Probably comparable to Notre Dame. So, we got to get off blocks fast with these guys, attack the line of scrimmage quickly.”

In addition to discussing the challenges of defending two dynamic tight ends in Tyler Warren and Theo Johnson, Johnson highlighted the issues presented by running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

“They do a great job. Got two great running backs that can find a hole. [They’re] very patient,” he said. “So, we got to be gap sound, and we got to be patient to hold our edges to slow the run game down.”

Does Mike Yurcich’s time at Ohio State help the Buckeyes at all?

Johnson also broke down his familiarity with Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, who spent 2019 on the Ohio State staff.

“Just a little bit. Not much at all,” he said when asked if Yurcich’s time with Ohio State helps the game-planning effort. “I know what he likes to do. He likes to move it around a little bit. Keep you guessing, a lot of flash motion stuff. But he’s a really good coordinator. He’s done a great job there. He’s done a great job at quarterback. So, it’ll be interesting coming in here.”

“They’ve done a good job of managing the ball,” Johnson continued. “Moving it, running the ball. Quick game, just kind of moving down the field. That’s tough to do. We’ve got to do a great job on first down. We can’t let them get four yards on first down, because that starts the drive.”

Saturday’s top-10 ten showdown between Penn State football and Ohio State kicks off at noon on FOX.