Caleb Downs walked into his first defensive meeting at Ohio State last season expecting a standard introduction from the new coordinator. Instead, Matt Patricia handed out blank sheets of paper and asked the room to do something most players never want to do in front of their teammates: rank the five best and five worst players on the defense.
Downs, now a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys, told the story Monday on his own podcast, “Downs 2 Business.” He said the request caught everyone off guard. “First day, he got into the meeting and said, ‘Hey guys, we’re going to hand out these sheets of paper. I want you to write down the best five players on this defense and the worst,’” Downs recalled. The room went quiet. Some players held their breath. A few, according to Downs, wrote their own names down as the best.
Patricia carried a weird reputation, Downs admitted. But he meant that in a good way. “This dude coached on a lot of Super Bowl teams, so he’s got to be a good coach,” Downs said. And Patricia didn’t waste any time making it clear he wasn’t there to play nice. The exercise forced players to be honest with themselves and each other, something that can make or break a defense before a single snap is played.
Patricia replaced Jim Knowles after a messy departure
Ohio State brought in Patricia after Jim Knowles bolted for Penn State, a move that came with whispers of tension between Knowles and head coach Ryan Day. Patricia, meanwhile, arrived with a resume that included Super Bowl rings with the Patriots and a messy head-coaching stint in Detroit. Plenty of people questioned the hire. Critics saw a retread who flamed out in the league.
But the numbers don’t lie. Ohio State finished the 2025 season with the nation’s top-ranked defense, giving up just 9.3 points per game. That was the best in the country by a solid margin. Patricia got a raise in March to $3.75 million, making him the highest-paid assistant in college football.
The Buckeyes fell short of a repeat
Despite that stingy defense, Ohio State couldn’t defend its national title. The Buckeyes lost to Miami in the second round of the College Football Playoff, ending their season earlier than expected. That loss stung, especially for a roster loaded with NFL talent like Downs. But Patricia’s approach stuck with the safety.
Downs is now in Dallas, trying to make an immediate impact for a team that needs help in the secondary. He’ll carry Patricia’s early challenge with him — and probably a few of those awkward first impressions, too.
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