Gary Patterson: OSU Throwing Ball Better Than Last Year, Buckeye Defense Can Run

Almost every year, Ohio State tries to have a game scheduled like the one they will be playing against No. 15 TCU this Saturday night.

Sometimes it works out — like Virginia Tech in 2015 and Oklahoma in 2016, and sometimes it doesn’t — like Virginia Tech in 2014 and Oklahoma in 2017.

For TCU, this kind of game isn’t normally something that head coach Gary Patterson wants to deal with. That’s why this game was changed from a home-and-home to a one-off in the “neutral site” of AT&T Stadium 20 minutes from TCU’s campus.

The last time the Horned Frogs played in such a game was 2013 against LSU, which also took place in AT&T Stadium. The Tigers came away with a 37-27 win.

But TCU has been in plenty of big games over the years. They played in the Big XII Championship Game last season, and the Peach Bowl in 2014 after narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoffs.

There was also the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin following the 2010 season while TCU was still a member of the Mountain West Conference.

Speaking with the media this week, Patterson cited that game when talking about preparing for the Buckeyes.

“I don’t know if it’s any more of a challenge than what Wisconsin was in the Rose Bowl,” he said.

“Ohio State’s a really good football team. Probably with the passing game and the people they have up on front on defense, maybe one of the better ones I’ve seen. I’ve watched them since Coach Meyer’s been there, so we’ve got a lot of work to do. This is going to be a big test for us. That’s why you play these games.”

As a defensive coach, Patterson will spend most of his time this week scouting the Ohio State offense. He will see a team that is throwing for 350 yards and rushing for 300 yards per game, which has some people wondering just how much different the Buckeye offense is than it has been in the past.

“No, it’s the same,” Patterson said. “They’re still doing a lot of the same stuff, they’re just doing it better. I mean there’s some [different] stuff, they’re just doing it better.

“They’re calling it different. From what I’ve watched, they’re throwing the ball a lot better. Throwing the ball a lot better. Obviously, everybody knows about their tailbacks. They always have their offensive line. They are what they are. I think they were 30-of-33 last week.”

The Buckeyes were indeed 30-of-33 passing last week, which set a couple of Ohio State records. The great equalizer for a passing game, of course, is a pass rush. TCU definitely has that, but according to Patterson, before they talk about rushing the passer, they must first concern themselves with something else.

“Well, first off, you don’t need to talk about pass rush,” he said. “The first thing you better do is hold your end. You’re not going to get a chance to see the pass if you don’t stop the run. You better be able to handle double teams. They come right at you. They come right at you with everything they do.”

The Buckeyes did struggle a little bit last week to establish the run against Rutgers, but they still ended up with 225 yards on the ground, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. If they do that again this week, they likely walk away with a win.

The Ohio State offense isn’t the only concern for Patterson, however.

“They’re whole defense, they can all run,” he said. “We’ll have to do some things, without giving away the game plans.”

The major concern for the TCU offense is the Ohio State defensive line, which features All-American Nick Bosa, who leads the Big Ten with three sacks while playing mostly just the first half of the first two games. Bosa isn’t the only worry for the Horned Frogs on the defensive line, however.

“Big test. You know three out of the four are probably first-round draft choices, so we’ve got some work,” Patterson said. “I think Bosa’s probably playing at the highest level he’s played at, I’ve just watched a little bit of him. I spent most of my time watching their offense.

“I think last year we talked to somebody, I think they played 13 defensive linemen in the Indiana game. So they’ve got a bunch of guys. The second and third guys are still Parade All-Americans.”

When Patterson looks at the Ohio State football team as a whole, he sees a complete team that is going to provide a very stiff test.

“I’d put them in the same category as Oklahoma a year ago, offense and defensively, playing somebody of that category,” he said. “They’re a good football team.”

TCU played Oklahoma twice last season, losing by scores of 38-20 and 41-17.