Junior cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. and the rest of Ohio State’s secondary didn’t have much go wrong for them during the 2025 season. As an essential part of what was, statistically speaking, the No. 1 defense in the country, the Buckeyes’ secondary more than held up its end of the Read More
Before a game this season in which defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s unit likely had yet another dominant performance, the first-year assistant coach looked in the mirror and noticed something different about himself.
“I walk in the locker room, and I’m looking in the mirror, and I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with Read More
As Ohio State prepares for its Cotton Bowl matchup against Miami (Fla.) on Dec. 31, much of the spotlight is on a classic strength-on-strength battle as the Buckeyes’ defense faces one of the most explosive offenses in the country.
Ohio State’s defense has been a cornerstone of the Buckeyes’ success Read More
Ohio State’s defense is playing at a historic level through seven games, and perhaps no one is happier about the success of that unit than first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Filling in for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day on his radio show on Thursday, Patricia talked about how much Read More
Ohio State’s coaching staff is likely getting bigger. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Saturday that the Buckeyes are expected to hire longtime NFL assistant coach and former defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, Josh Boyer.
Although it’s unclear what position Boyer would occupy with the Buckeyes, he would likely join Read More
Ohio State does not have many starters coming back from its 2024 championship-winning defense, but returning starters like unanimous All-American safety Caleb Downs and All-Big Ten linebacker Sonny Styles are projected to be among the best players in the Big Ten and maybe even the country next season. Styles, who Read More
In an hour-long scrimmage on Student Appreciation Day — an event where Ohio State students can observe practice, take pictures and receive autographs from players — it was the Buckeyes’ defense that more times than not outplayed the offense.
From the very start of practice, the offense struggled to hold Read More
Ohio State added another staff member with Billy Yates joining the Buckeyes as a defensive quality control coach.
Yates played in the NFL from 2003-10 and was also an assistant offensive line coach with the Detroit Lions in 2020 and with the New England Patriots from 2021-23, both stints under Read More
The past two years, the Buckeyes modus operandi has been letting the defense lead the way, and 14 games into this season, they have the No. 1 scoring defense in the country, allowing just 12.1 points per game.
Against Tennessee in the first round and Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Read More
It had been five years to the day that Ohio State last had shutout a team, and the defense was aware of it. Linebacker Sonny Styles said that Cody Simon let him know after the game that Sept. 7, 2019, was the last time the Buckeyes had done so when Read More
