ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A Michigan football player had a hilarious response Monday to a question about Matt Patricia being at Ohio State.
Patricia is in his first season as the defensive coordinator with the Buckeyes, and his unit has been the best in the country.
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Ohio State allows the fewest points per game in the country (7.6), the second-fewest rushing yards per game (80), the fewest passing yards per game (126.6), the fewest total yards per game (206.6), and the fewest yards per play (3.76).
The Buckeyes always have the most talent in the nation, but Patricia has also done a phenomenal job getting the most out of those players as a unit.
On Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, Michigan tight end Marlin Klein was asked about Patricia ahead of Saturday’s matchup with No. 1 Ohio State.
“He might not, you know -- he doesn’t really have the best reputation in the state of Michigan,” Klein said. “But he’s done such a great job at Ohio State. That kind of defense -- they’re the No. 1 defense in the country for a reason, and that’s really all to his credit and his players buying into what he’s trying to do down there.
“So we’re just excited to step on that field on Saturday and really measure ourselves with him and his team.”
Klein couldn’t be more spot on. Patricia got run out of Detroit in 2020 after a dismal two-and-a-half seasons as head coach of the Lions.
Patricia took over a team had a winning record three out of four seasons under Jim Caldwell and immediately went 6-10. In Year 2, he was 3-12-1.
After a 4-7 start to his third season, Patricia was fired. It wasn’t just about the wins and losses, either. Many players -- especially team leader Darius Slay -- were vocal about how Patricia was viewed in the locker room.
But it’s clearly working in Columbus. Klein and the Michigan offense will have their hands full as they hope to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.