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Steve Sarkisian well-acquainted with Ohio State Buckeyes' defensive coordinator Matt Patricia – preparing Texas with previous experience

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Berry | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 2:22 PM ET

No. 1 Texas takes on No. 3 Ohio State Saturday to kick off the 2025 season. The Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is excited to see Buckeyes' defensive coordinator Matt Patricia on the opposite sideline. The two have gone head-to-head plenty of times before, too.

Eight years ago, Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. During his time in the NFL, the Texas head coach had an unforgettable run-in with Patricia when he was the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.

This occasion was a 23-7 loss in which Sarkisian's offense didn't find the end zone until the final four minutes of the game.

Turn the page to this week and the Longhorns head man is dialed in.

"Oh yeah, we'll look at [film] from his time with the Patriots, Lions, Eagles and [Ohio State's] own stuff from last year, because he's the only new face in the room," Sarkisian said following the team's final scrimmage of preseason camp. "He's really the only new face in that room, their whole defensive staff remains the same and they had a very good defense a year ago."

Patricia, who is back in the college ranks for the first time since his time with the Syracuse Orange 23 years ago, will have his work cut out for him this season. Ohio State returns starters Caleb Downs, Davidson Igbinosun, and Sonny Styles. That's it.

Despite the losses, Ohio State still enters this one a 1.5 point favorite.

CALEB DOWNS TO THE HOUSE @OhioStateFB starts the second half with a bang ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/XT4Wrax5CI
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 23, 2024

Steve Sarkisian's preparation for this weekend's opener has gone way back.

"I've been down this road before, I think it was [2005] at USC, we were getting ready to play Hawaii and June Jones hired [former Atlanta Falcons head coach] Jerry Glanville to be his defensive coordinator," Sarkisian said of the Trojans' 2005 contest at Hawaii where USC won 63-17, led by offensive stars Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White.

"I was looking at Atlanta Falcons film of Deion Sanders playing man coverage. So, you just look at it all and shoot, I got enough time on my hands, that's kind of a fun thing to do."

Downs is a safety so not a direct comparison to Sanders. But, Sarkisian knows just how important it is for him and his offense to account for the All-American.

"At the end of the day, it's a new coordinator and play caller, so we're going to have to execute at a high level and make some in-game adjustments as we go."

Despite the close line for Saturday's game, Texas will need to reverse a trend.

In its last seven games, Texas is just 2-5 against the spread. On the other sideline, Ohio State is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games. Furthermore, when the clock hit zero, the total number went under in nine of the last 12 Texas games.

And it went over in four of the Buckeyes' last six games.

So something has to give August 30.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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