Matt Patricia: The Brain Behind Ohio State’s Defensive Success

Patricia was always one step ahead of the game. He was infamous for running the “multiple” system, which tailored the game plan week-to-week to fit against who they were playing. It also linked the defense based on the amount of talent he had to play around with on his roster. Patricia’s defenses always seemed to fit in the “bend-don’t-break” style of defense: limit explosive plays, third-down efficiency, and force field goals in the red zone. 

After six seasons and two Super Bowl victories, Patricia decided to make the jump to become a head coach. He was taking over a Detroit squad that had been to the playoffs two years prior and had a 9-7 record the year before. Surprisingly, the Lions decided to go in a different direction under coach Jim Caldwell. Management believed they were a coaching upgrade away from breaking into the playoffs yearly and contending for Super Bowls.

The coaching change was underwhelming to say the least, though. Detroit went 6-10 in Patricia’s first season at the helm, and followed it up with a 3-12-1 record in 2019. Reports of him losing the locker room and having a terrible team culture came about, and even former players were quick to criticize him. Former Lions safety, Glover Quin, publicly blasted Patricia in an interview on “his attitude, his persona, his arrogance”. Darius Slay also spoke out publicly on his way out of town, saying Patricia told him he “wasn’t elite”, which made him lose respect for him altogether. 

After a 4-7 start in 2020, two days after that embarrassing loss on Thanksgiving, Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp delivered the news to Patricia that he was being relieved of his duties as head coach of the team. 

This was a turning point for Patricia in his coaching career, and after some defensive assistant gigs with the Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, he is once again getting his opportunity to call the shots. This time for the reigning, defending National Champion, Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Patricia’s Buckeyes

Fast forward to the present day, Patricia is fresh off nine games of the Buckeyes’ defense playing the best it has in several years. Ohio State was doubted coming in on how it would perform and how the defensive unit would be able to replace eight starters from 2024. Patricia and company were able to hold the then-number-one-ranked Texas Longhorns team in the nation to just seven points in week one. The Buckeyes followed that up by allowing only 7.3 points per game the rest of the way. 

Ohio State’s defense has audibly taken a liking to the new sheriff in town. Sophomore cornerback Bryce West stated in a press conference, “The relationship with Coach P is amazing. He’s a great dude”. 

Junior linebacker Payton Pierce added, “Man, I really like Coach Patricia a lot. It’s what can he do for you, not what can you do for him.” Pierce built on that by later saying, “I’ve learned so much football in these past two weeks, more than I’ve learned in my whole lifetime”. 

End Of My Matt Patricia Rant

The Buckeyes will be back in action this Saturday at home vs. the visiting UCLA Bruins, another opportunity for Matty P and company to get in their bag of tricks.