Ohio State had to retool after its national championship run, and there's a new Buckeye who is the surprising MVP through the season's first leg.

After Ohio State earned the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship in January, the program quickly faced the reality that it had to replace a lot of production. 

As the Buckeyes turned their attention to the next season, they were looking to replace eight starters on defense, seven on offense, and several coaches, including both coordinators. The cupboard was bare, but they got to work to fill the holes.

Ohio State is known for replacing players. The Buckeyes' depth is second to none. This is most evident at the start of the season when future superstars take the field for the first time.

The bigger challenge was securing new coordinators. On offense, Ryan Day promoted long-time wide receiver coach Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator. Losing Jim Knowles was a big blow, with questions surrounding whether the defense could return to form without its architect and many stars going pro.

Day turned a lot of heads and made the call to hire NFL lifer Matt Patricia. After letting the hire settle in, I called it the biggest mistake that Ryan Day could have made. Maybe I was blinded by Patricia's failures as a head coach or convinced that his coaching couldn't translate to college. Maybe I had no clue.

Through the first quarter of the season, Patricia has been the most valuable addition to the Buckeyes.

What Patricia is doing with the Buckeyes is terrifying for opposing offenses. He is using his two NFL-ready minds, Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles, as coaches on the field so that Buckeyes everywhere can play at top speed. 

Ohio State is legitimately running an NFL defense. College coaches and quarterbacks have never seen this type of defense at this level. Confused quarterbacks and very few points will be commonplace at this rate.

Patricia's value will skyrocket as Ohio State gets into Big Ten play after its first bye week. It will have been spent self-scouting and evaluating the Buckeyes' next level defensively.

Ohio State's conference schedule kicks off in Week 5 with a trip to Washington, followed by a home contest against Minnesota and two road trips to Illinois and Wisconsin.

Each of these matchups will present unique challenges for Ohio State, with an upgrade in competition. On the other hand, the Buckeyes will present opponents with the most significant challenge they will face all season, trying to defeat this defense.