Now that Ohio State has new coordinators on both sides of the ball, one of the biggest lingering questions entering this spring is how the Buckeyes’ offense and defense will operate under Brian Hartline and Matt Patricia.
We aren’t expecting any drastic changes on the offensive side of the ball – Ohio State’s offense is still Ryan Day’s offense, and Hartline’s promotion comes in part because of how well he knows Day’s offense – though the Buckeyes will have to make adjustments to fit their personnel as new starters take over at quarterback, running back, tight end and offensive tackle.
Defensively is where the bigger scheme questions lie. Patricia was never tied to one specific scheme as the New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator, so there’s reason to believe his defense will be built to fit Ohio State’s personnel, but that will require changes too as the Buckeyes break in eight new starters on that side of the ball. And while the rest of Ohio State’s defensive coaching staff returns, there are questions about how Patricia’s ideas will mesh with defensive line coach Larry Johnson and whether Patricia’s success in New England will translate to the college level.
We discuss all of that on this week’s episode of Real Pod Wednesdays with Eleven Warriors scheme analyst Kyle Jones, who joins us to share his thoughts on what Ohio State’s offense and defense could look like in 2025 as well as what impressed him most about Ohio State’s national championship run this past season.
The full rundown for our conversation:
- 0:00 Why Ohio State’s Scheme, Play Calling Worked So Well in the College Football Playoff
- 4:28 Ohio State’s Evolution from Michigan Game to CFP Might Have Simply Been A Mindset Shift
- 6:49 What Matt Patricia Brings to Ohio State
- 10:17 Should We Be Concerned About Patricia’s Defenses Being Too Complicated?
- 16:07 What Ohio State Should Do Schematically to Fit Its Defensive Talent in 2025
- 19:50 Will Matt Patricia’s Defensive Line Philosophies Mesh with Larry Johnson?
- 23:21 Player Departures Could Drive Defensive Changes More Than Coordinator Change
- 26:08 Ryan Day Will Have Big Hand in Ohio State’s Offense, But That’s Nothing New
- 32:08 Why Offensive Line Development Matters More Than Run Game Scheme for Tyler Bowen
- 34:54 Less Quarterback Running Could Be Biggest Change for Ohio State’s Offensive Scheme
