In each of the last two weeks, explosive plays have wreaked havoc on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Against USC and Oregon, they allowed five plays of 30+ yards. That doesn't even include the fake punt that the Ducks converted last week to keep a drive going, either.
Quite frankly, the defense is getting gashed. Matt Patricia is taking a lot of criticism, and he should. There is no reason the defense should be giving up this many big plays. Patricia outlined his plan to fix the problem, and it feels like this should have been done last week.
Matt Patricia wants Ohio State to be simpler on defense
Patricia vowed to make things simpler so that players can get lined up in the right spot and avoid miscommunication.
"Certainly, there are alignments that I want to be better in, but I have to be very clear in what that is and what that looks like, so that's got to be on me."
Patricia also mentioned that the big plays were a function of the ball not being funneled into the right spots. Why that's still happening at this point is unclear, as he wouldn't give a straight answer as to why that was. He didn't even say they weren't properly lined up.
Whatever the issues are, there's no reason that misalignment should be happening this late in the year. That's the kind of stuff that you expect in the first few weeks of the year. Not at the end of the year when the Buckeyes are trying to make a push for the College Football Playoff.
Figuring out the best way to fix the issues that plague them is something that Patricia has to do if he wants to keep his job. Ryan Day has already made one staff change this season, and Patricia hasn't covered himself in glory this year. The team still doesn't have a pass rush, which has been a problem all year.
Ohio State is about to face the most creative offense they have seen
To make matters worse, the Buckeyes are about to face the most creative offense they've seen all year long. Northwestern comes to town, and that offense has been transformed since Chip Kelly came in as the offensive coordinator. He has been the talk of the Big Ten.
Kelly has put the offense in multiple formations to help the Wildcats pick up chunk plays. This is Patricia's worst nightmare coming off two horrendous performances. That's especially true if Aidan Chiles returns after he missed Northwestern's game last week.
Ryan Day had a shot to bring Kelly back at the beginning of the year. Instead, he decided to go after Arthur Smith. It's safe to say that has been a horrible miscalculation. Kelly would have elevated the offense to a higher level. Perhaps he would have even found a way to keep Julian Sayin from getting hurt.
Instead, it's highly likely that the Buckeyes will lose any chance of playing for a national championship. It is going to be very hard for them to make the College Football Playoff at this point.
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