There’s nothing like a good coaching battle.
Saturday’s clash between No. 2 Indiana and No. 1 Ohio State will feature one of the nation’s top offenses against the very best defense when Hoosiers offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s unit lines up against that of Buckeye defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
That’s a name most football fans know well for his time with the Detroit Lions and stints with the New England Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick (as weird as that’s gotten but I digress.)
In his first year with the Buckeyes after replacing the since-departed Jim Knowles, who took the same position with significantly less success at Penn State, Patricia has taken the unit to new heights. With two of the very best players in the country in safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Arvell Reese, Ohio State has smothered every offense they’ve played this year.
The highest score against the Buckeyes? 16 points from Illinois in Champaign. That was one of just four times the Ohio State defense has allowed its opponent to get up into the double digits.
The Buckeyes allow an average of just 203 yards per game, which ranks first nationally. To put that in perspective, the gap between them and the second ranked team, Toledo (walk with me here), is just a tad smaller than the gap between Toledo and No. 14 Fresno State. They’ve allowed just nine touchdowns all season, two less than the No. 2 defense in that category (which is… Indiana.) Unreal.
The Hoosiers, under Shanahan, gain an average of 483.8 yards per game and have 66 offensive touchdowns to their name. They’re fifth in yards per game and second in scoring touchdowns.
So, in other words, something’s gotta give.
Indiana has struggled some against talented and/or stout teams on the road like Iowa, Oregon and Penn State this season. Nobody’s in a better position to limit this offense than Ohio State, so prior performances bode rather ill.
Shanahan is a younger up and comer in the profession working with a great receiving duo, two great running backs and a true Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback. Patricia has seen a ton of football at the highest level and has two of the best players in the country on his side.
The game within the game will be an interesting one. Does Shanahan opt to be conservative and move the ball in increments or will he be more willing to dial up a few shots to try and get some chunk plays if he’s able to create some confusion in the defense? Will Patricia dedicate more resources to pressuring Mendoza and how does he handle the receiving duo of Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr.?
It’s strength on strength with hardware on the line.
