Matt Patricia admits a challenge that he sounds worried about coming up for the Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes have taken care of business and now head into their first off week of the season. Ohio State sits at 3-0 with wins over Texas, Grambling State, and Ohio. Texas gave the Buckeyes a real test in the opener, but Ohio State pulled out a 13-10 win and hasn’t been challenged […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes have taken care of business and now head into their first off week of the season. Ohio State sits at 3-0 with wins over Texas, Grambling State, and Ohio. Texas gave the Buckeyes a real test in the opener, but Ohio State pulled out a 13-10 win and hasn’t been challenged since. This week off will give Ryan Day and his team a chance to self-scout some early mistakes while also recharging after a grueling month of August in fall camp.
When Ohio State returns to the field in Week 5, it will be for their Big Ten opener on the road against the Washington Huskies. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET—a change from the usual prime-time slot. This will mark the first time Ohio State has played Washington since the Huskies joined the Big Ten. Washington is 2-0 with wins over Colorado State and UC Davis, and they’ll face Washington State this weekend before hosting the Buckeyes on Sept. 27.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia had high praise for Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
“He’s very much—a little bit almost like Kyler Murray,” Patricia said Tuesday. “That first-step quickness that he has and his ability to get to top speed, it’s explosive. It’s fast. He’s quick. He gets out of the pocket. He’s got a really strong, live arm. This thing can go downfield. They’ve got good players to get the ball to. That’s gonna be a huge challenge for us. Even when you think—you know, you’re watching tape—you think you’ve kind of got him bottled up, he can get out. That reminds me a lot, like I said, of Kyler Murray.”
The dual-threat ability that Williams brings will certainly test a Buckeye defense that has allowed just 5.3 points and 227.7 yards per game so far. His top target is wideout Denzel Boston, a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Boston already has 142 yards and a touchdown this season after posting 834 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2024.
Ohio State faced a mobile quarterback last week in Ohio’s Parker Navarro, holding him to five carries for just three yards. But Navarro was dealing with an injury, and Williams is a step up in athleticism. The linebacker play of Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese will be key against Washington, as will the presence of All-American safety Caleb Downs. Patricia has seen a lot of quarterbacks in his career, and if he’s comparing Williams to a successful NFL starter, it’s probably for good reason.
Washington will be a strong test for Ohio State in what should be a hostile environment. Huskies fans will be eager for the chance to knock off the Buckeyes, and it will take a big-time performance from Williams to make that happen. With nearly two weeks to prepare, it’s clear that Washington’s quarterback is already the focal point of Ohio State’s defensive game plan.
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The Ohio State Buckeyes are now on a bye week before they begin Big Ten play on the road against the Washington Huskies. Ohio State has taken care of business so far, defeating Texas, Grambling State, and Ohio. With a week off, the Buckeyes can address some issues that have shown up over the first […]
