The Closing Stretch for Matt Patricia’s Defense

Before the season, On3 ranked Ohio State’s 2026 schedule the toughest in the Big Ten. A big part of it has already been handled, with road wins at Iowa and Indiana. The hardest five-game run is still ahead, and it will ask more of Matt Patricia’s defense than any stretch so far.

Where things stand

Ohio State went into the bye at 6-1, 4-0 in the Big Ten and No. 3 in the AP poll. Its only loss came by a single point at Texas in September. It’s also adjusting at quarterback after Julian Sayin was hurt at Indiana. Ryan Day said afterward that Sayin will probably miss several weeks, so the bye gives the quarterback room extra time to prepare.

Through seven games, the defense allows 13.4 points per game, one of the best marks in the country. It has also forced 10 takeaways and allows 91.4 rushing yards per game.

Five games remain.

Oct. 31: at USC

The first game back from the bye is the longest trip of the season, to Los Angeles on Halloween. A cross-country road game is a tough test for an offense in transition, which puts the defense in position to set the tone early. It’s also Ohio State’s first trip to USC since 2008. Two weeks to prepare should help both sides of the ball, and especially a young secondary that has gotten better every week.

Nov. 7: Oregon

Oregon’s next, a week later in Columbus, in the first meeting between the two programs since Ohio State beat Oregon in the Rose Bowl during its 2024 national title run. It’s the biggest home game left before the season finale, and it’s a game where the defense’s growth since September will be tested for four full quarters. Home-field advantage matters in a game like this, and Ohio Stadium should be loud.

Nov. 14: Northwestern

Ohio State’s Military Appreciation Game sits in the middle of the stretch. It’s a chance to keep building. For a team breaking in a quarterback, a game like this can be a chance to settle the offense while the defense keeps doing its job.

Nov. 21: at Nebraska

The last road trip of the regular season. It’s late November in Lincoln, and nothing about that is easy. This team has already been tested in hostile environments at Iowa and Indiana, winning by 17 and by four, and that experience should help.

Nov. 28: Michigan

The regular season ends at home against Michigan, with a noon kickoff on FOX. That week is about Ohio State and its traditions. Everything that week is pointed at the one game that means the most in Columbus.

Why Matt Patricia’s defense is ready for it

Since the Illinois game, opponents have had a hard time running on it. Iowa averaged 1.9 yards a carry, and Indiana averaged about 2.5. The front has gotten stronger, the young secondary has grown into its roles, and the unit has found ways to make big plays when it needed them. At Indiana, Earl Little Jr. led the team with eight tackles, true freshman Jay Timmons forced a fumble, and Jaylen McClain’s fourth-down strip-sack ended a scoring threat.

“I think now more than ever, you gotta have a team that plays for each other, plays with spark, and plays with passion,” Day said after the Indiana game.

With the offense working through a quarterback change, the closing stretch will lean on Matt Patricia’s defense to keep games close, win field position and create turnovers. Five games, five tests. The way this group’s trended since Illinois, it has a real chance to meet them.