Matt Patricia Embraces Year Two at Ohio State: “We’re Building Again”
When Ryan Day brought in Matt Patricia to run the Ohio State defense, the move raised more than a few eyebrows. A longtime NFL mind with three Super Bowl rings, Patricia hadn’t coached at the college level in over two decades-and never at a program quite like this. The skepticism was real.
But one season later, that skepticism has turned into something else entirely: respect.
Patricia didn’t just steady the Buckeyes' defense-he elevated it. Ohio State fielded the top-ranked unit in the country last year, a group that consistently left opposing offenses scratching their heads. Whether it was pre-snap disguises, third-down packages, or the way he weaponized elite talent like Caleb Downs and Arvell Reese, Patricia brought an NFL-caliber edge to the college game-and it worked.
And it wasn’t just about the X’s and O’s. Patricia’s impact ran deeper.
He connected with players. He mentored them.
He built relationships that mattered. That kind of buy-in is tough to manufacture, especially in a place like Columbus, where expectations are sky-high and the pressure never lets up.
This offseason, Patricia’s name started popping up in coaching rumors again-particularly in NFL circles. But nothing materialized, and for now, he’s staying put in Columbus. And from the sound of it, he’s more than happy to be here.
“It was unbelievable for me,” Patricia said this week. “It’s been a minute since I’ve been in college football, and that game day experience, that game day atmosphere, the Shoe, our fans-that was amazing. You know, to go out there against Texas and just to have that support and that energy, how can you not love it?”
That’s coming from a guy who’s coached in Super Bowls. Patricia knows what elite football environments look like-and he’s putting Ohio State right up there with the best of them.
It’s easy to forget how much of a leap it was for Patricia to return to the college game. Before last season, his only collegiate stops were at RPI, Amherst, and Syracuse between 1996 and 2003.
Since then, it was all NFL: New England, Detroit, back to New England. Two decades of pro football, and yet here he is, thriving in the heart of Big Ten country.
Now comes the next challenge: reloading.
Gone are several of the key pieces that made last year’s defense so dominant. Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, and Davison Igbinosun have all moved on. That’s a lot of talent-and leadership-no longer in the room.
But Patricia isn’t panicking. He’s embracing the process.
“Just do everything we can to try to build the defense again,” he said. “It’ll be another new set of players out there, just like it was last year, but I’m excited about those young guys. I can’t wait to get them out on the field in front of our group and go have some success, hopefully.”
That’s classic Patricia-measured, focused, and already deep into the next phase of development. He knows the bar has been set high, and he’s not pretending it’ll be easy to replicate what they did last year. But he’s also not backing down from the challenge.
Ohio State fans should feel confident knowing that the defense is in the hands of someone who’s not only proven he can scheme with the best of them, but who also understands how to build a culture that players want to be a part of.
Replacing stars like Downs and Styles won’t happen overnight. But with Patricia at the helm, there’s every reason to believe the Buckeyes will once again field a defense that makes life miserable for opposing offenses.
And if last year was any indication, the best may still be ahead.