“The story of the game was the defense,” said Ohio State coach Ryan Day . “Those fourth-down stops were big.” The 2025 season opener for Ohio State and Texas was more than just a game. It was a defensive masterclass that set the tone for the Buckeyes’ national title defense. From the get-go, Ohio State’s defense took center stage, smothering Texas and rattling star quarterback Arch Manning at every turn. The face of the defense after the Jim Knowles era is carried out by Matt Patricia , fresh from an illustrious NFL career with multiple Super Bowl wins and a $2.5M contract. He showed up with a revamped defense featuring eight new starters ready to prove a point.

Their goal? Make every yard a fight, and every fourth down a moment to seize. And seize they did. Throughout the game,

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