Everyone was baffled when Jim Knowles left the national champions for their conference rivals. For Ohio State and Ryan, though, life went on. The Buckeyes’ head coach was also losing his OC to the NFL. To replace the man who gave the No. 1 defense in the country, Day chose Matt Patricia, a trusted lieutenant of Bill Belichick. There was initial scepticism around the hire, especially regarding whether the team would have continuity in terms of defensive schemes. The results? Well, the defense is as dominant as it has ever been. Ohio almost held off the Longhorns and quarterback Arch Manning in the season opener against Texas, keeping them scoreless until the very end. The best part is that the defensive guys love their new DC.
In the recent episode of Down 2 Business, Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles discussed that Matt Patricia’s appointment as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator was somewhat unexpected. Linebacker Sonny Styles admitted, “When it happened, it was kind of surprising, but he took the court. He texted all the guys on the defense and like sent us a text and let us know that there could be a switch coming up. So, there’s a lot of respect for him for doing that because he didn’t have to do that.”
Ever since then, Patricia’s professionalism and communication skills quickly won the players’ trust despite their initial skepticism, showing that he could manage the demands of heading a top-ranked defense.
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Sonny was quick to praise Patricia’s methods of instruction and coaching. “I can speak for all of us when I say Coach Patricia has been great. Great guy, great coach. He’s a great teacher,” he said. He also emphasized the close bonds Patricia has with his players, saying, “I feel really close to him. I can go sit down in the office, talk to him, talk to him about whatever, it doesn’t have to be football. And yeah, I really appreciate him for that.”
Sonny’s appreciation is backed by the outcomes on the field. Ohio State currently leads the FBS in the fewest points allowed (5.5 PPG) and is ranked eighth nationally in total defense. With the Huskies limited to 61 rushing yards and quarterback Demond Williams Jr. forced into a one-dimensional game, Patricia’s defense dominated in their recent victory over Washington.
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Beyond connections, the players say that this year’s defense is quicker and less complex than it was under Jim Knowles last season. At scrimmage, guys don’t need to overthink things. The Buckeyes have been able to shut down opposing offenses, play a variety of defensive looks, and set the tone for what could be another successful season owing to Patricia’s strategy and his NFL experience.
The DC swap: While Patricia shines, Knowles adapts
While Ohio State appears to be thriving under Matt Patricia, the other side of the Big Ten story is Jim Knowles’ transfer to Penn State, which raised many eyebrows. It was unusual to leave the national champion Buckeyes for the Nittany Lions, but Knowles says it was a matter of opportunity and timing.
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“I did not want to put anyone, including myself, in a position to have to deal with it immediately following the national championship game.”After winning the championship, he felt compelled to look into other options because Ohio State had not offered him an extension, which finally resulted in a $3.1 million per season deal with Penn State.
The real test of Knowles’ new defense didn’t go as well as he was hoping for. The Nittany Lions gave up 424 yards, 30 points, and several fourth-down conversions in Penn State’s home defeat to Oregon. Despite the fact that the season is still early, Patricia’s Buckeyes are dominating opponents in the red zone and haven’t given up double digits yet. Still, Knowles is attempting to use the setback as a teaching opportunity for his team.
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Even though the outcomes cannot be seen right away, the players are learning from Knowles’ lessons. Zuriah Fisher, a defensive end, emphasized the “1-0” mentality: “We mad about the loss, of course, but we got to keep going. It’s one game at a time and we try and get a win on Saturday.”
Defensive tackle Alonzo Ford Jr. added, “He emphasized that we got to get back to work… Just got to get back to work and get back to preparing yourself to go out there and win it next week.” Even with Penn State’s early-season fumbles, Knowles is making sure his players know exactly what they need to do to get back on track.