Michigan Wolverines starter pokes at Matt Patricia’s past while giving the Ohio State Buckeyes some major credit
Matt Patricia has been a great addition for Ohio State, and now he needs to get it done against Michigan.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have lost four straight to the Michigan Wolverines, and they’ll head north on Saturday looking to end that streak.
Ohio State enters the matchup at 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff. That may sound nice, but it means little, having truly accomplished nothing yet. Beating Michigan is the Buckeyes’ biggest regular-season goal every year, and they must win this one to reach the Big Ten Championship Game against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Michigan starting TE praises Ohio State’s defense while taking a slight jab at Matt Patricia
Ohio State losing Jim Knowles has turned into a blessing in disguise, as the elite defense from last year is even better this season. Matt Patricia has been a welcome addition as defensive coordinator, with the Buckeyes allowing just 7.6 points per game. Still, the challenge ahead is proving that Patricia can lead the defense to victory. Michigan tight end Marlin Klein praised the defense on Monday, while sneaking in a shot at Patricia’s time as head coach of the Detroit Lions.
“He doesn’t really have the best reputation in the state of Michigan,” Klein said on Monday. “But he’s done such a great job at Ohio State. That kind of defense — they’re the No. 1 defense in the country for a reason, and that’s really all to his credit and his players buying into what he’s trying to do down there.”
Patricia coached the Lions from 2018–2020, going 13-29-1 before being fired. He spent 2021 and 2022 as an advisor with the New England Patriots and later worked as a defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles before taking 2024 off. After Knowles left for Penn State, Ryan Day brought Patricia in to lead the Buckeyes’ defense.
Ohio State is allowing just 206 yards per game — the fewest in the FBS. There are NFL-caliber players all over this defense, and Patricia has pushed the right buttons to get the most out of them. Now, with the biggest test of the season ahead, Patricia has a chance to show he can succeed in the state of Michigan.
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