Eric Boggs
Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia believes the biggest reason for the Buckeyes’ early success on defense is simple: the players have bought in. “Our guys are doing an unbelievable job, I think, with the installations and learning and the different pieces and putting that all together,” Patricia said. “I just can’t give enough credit to the way that they’ve gone after this and studied and learned and practiced and improved.”
That ownership has shown up most clearly in communication, particularly among the safeties. Patricia praised the way Jaylen McClain has mirrored Caleb’s leadership, saying, “Jaylen, I think, really has followed along with Caleb in the communication. That’s the biggest piece, you know, with the safeties. They got to talk back and forth.” He added that the trust between the secondary, linebackers, and front line has made the defense stronger week by week.
The next challenge is Washington, which Patricia compared to facing an NFL-style attack. “Jedd (Fisch) does a great job with that unit and their quarterback and their skill players and the running game and all the things that they present from a problem standpoint,” he said. “He’s very much a little bit, almost like Kyler Murray. Like that first step quickness that he has and his ability to get to top speed, it’s explosive.”
Patricia has also embraced the depth that Ohio State offers him, something he didn’t always have in the NFL. “It’s been fun having that many pieces, that much depth,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to be careful because I’m looking at the board and maybe on a Tuesday, I’m like, oh, we can run all these packages. I’m like, all right, we can’t get all that practice because you’re trying to get everybody a job and a role.”
What makes Patricia most proud, though, is the mindset of his players. “They’re very serious, they take notes, they want to learn what the game plan is, they really want to learn about the opponent, but then there’s just that also joy of, like, they are young kids. They love the game for the game,” he said.
For Patricia, Ohio State’s defense is thriving not just because of schemes or depth, but because his players are willing to own the process. “My whole goal is to teach and mentor and coach young men and help develop young men and hopefully have a positive impact in their lives going forward,” he said. “That’s really what I’m trying to do. And that’s what’s been the most fun.”
