Last season, Ohio State had the best defense in the country. They led the nation in several stats, and they leaned on that unit all year long. After the year was over, Matt Patricia was getting interest from several other places. However, he decided he wanted to stay in Columbus.
With Patricia coming back, Ohio State is expecting to be elite on the defensive side of the ball again, despite losing three first-round picks. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is expected to be a big part of the pass rush, and he explained what makes Patricia so special for the Buckeyes.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. lays out why Matt Patricia is a great fit for Ohio State
While speaking to the media, Jackson Jr. explained why Patricia is such a good fit for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
"I mean, he's a good guy. Not just on the field, but off the field. He's like family to me. That's how close we are. He just wants to talk about football and talk about life. That's pretty much it."
When asked about what Patricia adds schematically, Jackson Jr. simply said, "everything". That means that the players clearly believe in what he is doing when he is drawing up plays. The Buckeyes are fully expecting to be a great defensive team again because of the fact that Patricia puts them in the best position to win.
Ohio State has two former NFL head coaches as its coordinators. Patricia and Arthur Smith are the two coordinators who are leading the defense and the offense. Ryan Day feels confident that both are going to be right for the team this year. Patricia already proved that he was.
The Buckeyes are going to need the defense to be on point with the tough schedule they face. They will play six top-25 teams this season. Based on what Jackson Jr. said, the Buckeyes have all of their faith in Patricia for a reason. They seem to trust him and his scheme, and that's important.
Ohio State's offense can carry the team early while the defense settles in
It might take the defense a couple of games to settle in. Against Texas in Austin, they might struggle to stop the Longhorns in the first half. If that does happen, Ohio State's offense is good enough to carry the team while the defense gets settled in. It should be an elite unit.
Jeremiah Smith said that the offense is structured to get him the ball more, and that's good news for Buckeye fans. Smith is the best player in college football, so the more times he can get the ball, the better. His ability to break the ball into the open field is second-to-none.
A shutout against the Cardinals in Week 1 would be a great sign for the future of the defense. That would give fans some hope that they might be able to slow down Texas in Week 2. Patricia has proven that he deserves trust from the fan base with what he'll do defensively.
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