Joel Klatt gave Matt Patricia's Ohio State Buckeyes defense the ultimate compliment: they're in company with the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs, 1993 Florida State Seminoles, and several of Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide teams. Klatt didn't name specific Saban squads, but it's fair to say he was thinking of the 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2017 teams.
Klatt was in complete awe of the 41 points OSU has given up through seven games, crowning them the top team in college football like practically everyone else. He also shouted out Julian Sayin and Carnell Tate for being the modern-day version of the 2019 LSU Tigers' Joe Burrow-Justin Jefferson -- since Jeremiah Smith presumably ends up the Ja'Marr Chase -- in the Buckeyes' passing game.
"Ohio State shut out Wisconsin, Carnell Tate had over 100 yards and two touchdowns, Julian Sayin had almost 400 yards passing. They've allowed just 41 points through seven games: that's the fewest in college football since 1993, by that great Florida State defense. This Ohio State defense is one of the great defenses, not just this year, but in a long time. It's up there with the ‘21 Georgia defense, some of those Bama defenses that were incredible, some of the great defenses in the '90s. Wisconsin had no shot in that game – now, we know that, and Bama also took apart Wisconsin in a similar fashion, but Alabama gave up a couple of scores in that game. And you could say 'yeah, those were mop-up duty, that’s fine' – Ohio State didn't. They went out there and shut them out. Forty-one total points, through seven college football games. That's an incredible number." Klatt said.
Matt Patricia could go down as Ryan Day's greatest hire at Ohio State
When one views how Ryan Day potentially won back-to-back championships last year and this, if that were to be the conclusion of this poetic dominance, replacing Jim Knowles with Patricia will go down as one of the all-time great personnel decisions.
Knowles's Penn State Nittany Lions defense has crashed and burned, which helped contribute to James Franklin's firing.
Meanwhile, Patricia is coaching a defense that showed the players were the ones who helped run the gauntlet against the Tennessee Volunteers, Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish to cap off the greatest CFP run in history.
Just imagine what Patricia's legacy will be if the Buckeyes could bludgeon Bryce Underwood during his first go-round in "The Game" this November in Ann Arbor.
There's work to be done down the stretch, but if Patricia can mow down the also-rans not being given a chance before getting over the TTUN hump and continuing to finish the job throughout the postseason, he'll undoubtedly get more credit than Day.
And Day won't mind a bit.