Eric Boggs
When Ryan Day hired Matt Patricia to run Ohio State’s defense, the move was met with plenty of skepticism. Patricia hadn’t coached in college for two decades, his NFL head coaching stint in Detroit was widely criticized, and he was stepping in to replace Jim Knowles, who built last season’s top-ranked Buckeye defense. But after Saturday’s 14-7 win over No. 1 Texas, those doubts were put to rest — at least for now.
Patricia’s debut as defensive coordinator couldn’t have gone much better. Against one of the most explosive offenses in the country, Ohio State’s defense completely smothered the Longhorns, holding them scoreless until the final minutes and limiting Arch Manning to just one touchdown in four quarters. After the game, Patricia deflected any credit for the performance, saying he was “just so proud of the players” and that “they’re the ones that went out there and played really fast, really aggressive. They tried to do everything we asked them to do, and they stepped up to the challenge.”
One of the defining moments came midway through the third quarter when Texas put together a 15-play, 70-yard drive and set up a fourth-and-goal inside the Buckeyes’ one-yard line. Patricia’s defense didn’t flinch, crashing the line of scrimmage and stuffing the Longhorns to preserve Ohio State’s 7-0 lead. The crowd at Ohio Stadium erupted, and the momentum swung squarely in the Buckeyes’ favor. Texas mounted another 13-play, 76-yard drive in the fourth quarter that reached the Buckeyes’ five-yard line, but once again the defense slammed the door with another fourth-down stop. Across those two drives, Texas ran 28 plays for 146 yards and came away with zero points. Patricia said, “We talked all week about situational football and keeping our composure. The guys were locked in, they trusted each other, and it showed in those moments.”
From the moment Patricia was hired, there were questions about how his scheme would translate to the college game. On Saturday, we got the answer. He mixed coverages, disguised blitzes, and rotated personnel packages to keep Manning off balance all night. “We spent the spring evaluating what we had,” Patricia explained. “We’ve got a lot of young guys who haven’t played much football, so we focused on putting them in positions where they could play fast and aggressive. The coaches did a tremendous job preparing these guys.”
The linebackers — Sonny Styles, and Arvell Reese — were flying all over the field, delivering big hits and making plays in space. Patricia compared their speed and versatility to the linebacking groups he coached during his years in New England, saying, “We’ve got some guys who can cover ground and play in multiple roles, and that opens up a lot of possibilities for what we can do defensively.”
When Ohio State announced Patricia’s hire in the offseason, it wasn’t universally embraced. He hadn’t been in the college game since 2003, and his time as Detroit Lions head coach didn’t exactly inspire confidence. But Ryan Day believed in his vision, and Saturday’s result validated that belief. Patricia said he was soaking up the experience, adding, “This place is loud, man. I love it. You don’t get that kind of noise in an NFL game. I’m so thankful to the Buckeye fans and these players. I just want to coach, mentor, and hopefully have an impact on these young men. Hopefully, we got a little bit of that done today.”
Still, both Patricia and Day were quick to point out that this is only the beginning. “The team you see right now won’t be close to the team you see halfway through the season,” Day said. “There’s a lot to improve on, but it’s a lot easier to make those corrections after a win against a team like Texas.”
For Patricia, though, this was a statement debut. Holding the defending national champions and the No. 1-ranked team in the country to just seven points in a season opener speaks volumes about the potential of this group. The Silver Bullets are fast, physical, and playing with an edge — and if Saturday’s performance was any indication, Matt Patricia may have Ohio State’s defense on track to be even better than last year’s.
