Defending a national title is never easy, but it’ll be even tougher for Ryan Day after his coaching staff was gutted this offseason. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly left for the Las Vegas Raiders, and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles made a lateral move to Penn State, forcing Day to elevate key members of his offensive staff and to call on a former NFL head coach to run his defense.
Matt Patricia hasn’t coached at the college level since he was a GA at Syracuse from 2001-03, and he was out of football altogether last season. Now he’s Ohio State’s defensive coordinator, and he’s going to get thrown into the fire with a Week 1 matchup against Arch Manning and the No. 1 team in the preseason Coaches’ poll, the Texas Longhorns. So, he’s calling on the fanbase for some help.
There will be well over 100,00 fans in Ohio Stadium on August 30 for a rematch from the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal that the Buckeyes took 28-14 in Arlington, Texas, and Patricia believes that a hostile environment can help his revamped defense slow down Manning in his third career start.
“I’m excited for the fans,” Patricia told Big Ten Network’s Gerry DiNardo. “I need the fans to be loud. Let’s get after the quarterback. Let’s make it hard on him.”
"I'm excited for the fans. I need the fans. Let's be loud."
Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia is ready for @OhioStateFB fans to pack The Shoe in Week 1 vs. Texas 👊 pic.twitter.com/G4aYg7mpc9
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) August 8, 2025
New-look Ohio State defense getting immediate test with Texas
The last time these teams met in January, Jack Sawyer sealed the game for Ohio State with a strip-sack of Quinn Ewers returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Now, both Sawyer and Ewers are looking to make NFL rosters. Texas had a ready-made replacement for its QB, but Ohio State had to go looking for defensive line help after shedding Sawyer, JT Tuimoloa, Tyleik Williams, and Ty Hamilton to the league.
The Buckeyes plucked Beau Atkinson from the Transfer Portal to start at defensive end, but aside from the former North Carolina Tar Heel, Patricia’s defensive line will be largely inexperienced. Despite an offseason injury scare, sophomore Eddrick Houston is slated for a major role on the interior, while redshirt junior Kenyata Jackson Jr. is getting his first opportunity as a full-time starter opposite Atkinson.
If that group struggles to get pressure on Manning, then it could come down to the atmosphere in Columbus to shake the nephew of Peyton and Eli, because aside from All-American safety Caleb Downs, the Ohio State secondary is a relatively unfamiliar group. Davison Igbinosun is back to start at outside cornerback, but the Buckeyes lost Lathan Ransom, Denzel Burke, and Jordan Hancock on Day 3 of the NFL Draft in April.
Patricia has his work cut out for him with a young defense, and if he didn’t get it right in fall camp, then even 100,000 screaming fans could feel helpless in Ohio Stadium on the first Saturday afternoon of the season.