Ohio State didn’t produce great offensive numbers last year. In both total offense and passing offense, the Buckeyes ranked outside the top-25. The running game was even worse. However, they still had an undefeated regular season due to their dominant defense. According to one ESPN analyst, Ryan Day may not have that luxury in 2026.

“Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs. That’s the biggest question mark,”  Aaron Rodgers’ brother Jordan Rodgers said on July 31 on ESPN about OSU’s high defensive attrition. “Especially with Texas Week 2. Texas is going to have a really, really good offense with what they’ve added. Ryan Wingo obviously comes back around Arch Manning. Cam Coleman is added. They reloaded in the running back room. That’s going to be a great early test for Ohio State’s defense.”

Along with the three players Rodgers mentioned, the Buckeyes also had Kaydon McDonald and Davison Igbinosun. All are in the NFL now. It also didn’t help Ryan Day that he lost some players to the portal. The losses included standout names such as Aaron Scott Jr., Faheem Delane, Jarquez Carter, and Eric Mensah. Ryan Day did add 18 players from the portal, and many were on defense. But it’s difficult to predict how well they will gel with the team, even if their quality remains unquestionable. DC Matt Patricia also understands that.

“I don’t think you ever replace a Caleb Downs or a Sonny,” Matt Patricia said this spring. “When you have great players, that’s why they’re great players… The luxury I had last year was so much fun. When you have guys who are that big, that fast, that athletic, and have that explosive power and violence that they both have, it was a gift.”

Last season, Patricia deployed Jaylen McClain, Riley Pettijohn, and Payton Pierce in specific roles. They’re going to see increased snaps. However, the fans may have to be patient before everything comes together. What could help the team early on is if the offense takes a leap under the new OC.

The OSU offense needs to improve

While OSU’s offense wasn’t world-class last year, they still had a Heisman finalist QB in Julian Sayin. He returns with the team this year and has a new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, to work on correcting his mistakes. Since Smith demands his QBs be at least efficient with their legs, Sayin is keenly adding that skill in his game. Moreover, the former Falcons head coach is developing a dominant run game to diversify OSU’s offensive playbook.

OSU won’t have to be as dominant on defense as they were last year. This is because their offense is now good enough to offset that drop in production. Additionally, Patricia is not new to the game, and he knows how to be flexible with situations. The former Lions head coach understands he doesn’t have the same quality he had last year and will adjust his style of play accordingly.

“That’s really been more of what I’ve done,” Patricia said to 247Sports about building his defense around any given players. “I would say, in the last, probably, I don’t know, 10 to 15 years, as I just learned through the course of the league, where your personnel will change, or you’re picking at the end of the draft versus the beginning of the draft. And you have to be fluid with all that.”

Patricia is now building his defense around CB Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Jaylen McClain. He also has 5-star acquisition Devin Sanchez and will make do with young talent in the front seven. So, players like Zion Grady or Will Smith Jr. may not seem world-class now, but Patricia trusts their development.