RJ Younger
FOX Sports activities Nationwide Faculty Soccer Analyst
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is aware of what his Golden Gophers are up in opposition to Saturday: a No. 1-ranked Ohio Stateteam that, in his phrases, may be the perfect group the Buckeyes have had underneath head coach Ryan Day.
Fleck isn’t one handy out compliments evenly. Like his personal group, the Buckeyes replicate the angle, demeanor and habits of their head coach. Day’s group is assured, disciplined, and explosive — traits Fleck each respects and acknowledges.
So when Fleck singles out a fellow coach for reward, particularly the one standing throughout the sector this weekend, it’s value listening.
“He’s an unbelievable man, initially, after which only a fabulous coach,” Fleck stated. “However I do know he has quite a lot of confidence on this soccer group he’s teaching, and I believe statistically while you take a look at them underneath Ryan Day … within the first 4 video games, [this] might be the perfect group he has ever coached.
“It is a actually good soccer group. We’re gonna need to play our greatest soccer sport of the yr. We all know that.”
Not many would argue with that evaluation of Day or his 2025 group, particularly given how the Buckeyes are shifting in another way on protection, leveling up from final yr’s top-ranked scoring unit into one thing nastier and largely unseen within the Faculty Soccer Playoff period.
In truth, the Buckeyes are flirting with turning into the perfect protection since Alabama in 2011. That Crimson Tide group allowed a salty 8.2 factors per sport en path to a nationwide title — and Ohio State has been even higher. The Buckeyes are permitting simply 5.5 factors per sport, haven’t surrendered a landing within the purple zone all season, and have held each opponent to 9 factors or fewer.
One week after Washington dropped 59 factors and 471 complete yards on in-state foe Washington State, together with 298 passing yards and 88 speeding yards from QB Demond Williams Jr., the Buckeyes held the Huskies to only six factors and sacked Williams six occasions.
“They’re holding opponents to 5 factors, so Washington did an excellent job scoring yet one more level than what they’re averaging,” Fleck stated. “That’s an above-average efficiency.”
Ohio State defensive position coach Larry Johnson Sr. deserves essentially the most credit score for that. As soon as once more, he has recognized and developed a pair of game-wreckers off the sting in senior Caden Curry and junior Kayden McDonald, who’ve mixed for 8.0 sacks and 13 tackles for loss by means of the primary third of the season.
Nevertheless it’s defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s whole unit that has been stingy from the beginning. At each degree, there’s not less than one participant who might be a first-round NFL draft choose — and that’s with out even mentioning Buckeyes security Caleb Downs, who remains to be the perfect defensive participant within the nation.
“You’ll be able to see how the entrance seven perceive how the again finish works,” Fleck stated at his press convention this week. “The again finish understands how the entrance seven works. They work cohesively collectively. They’re relentless.
“These 4 guys up entrance, they get into Double Eagle packages, and so they’re straight up the sector. Coach Johnson teaching that D-line — they’re coming after the quarterback, and if the run occurs to get in the way in which, they’ll deal with the run. … They’re relentless of their pursuit. They’re actually good tacklers. They’re good.”
Caden Curry #92 of the Ohio State Buckeyes seems on through the sport in opposition to the Washington Huskies. (Picture by Steph Chambers/Getty Photographs)
And the scariest half? This protection may not have hit its ceiling but in 2025.
Ohio State is No. 1 in each the AP High 25 ballot and my newest high 25 rankings — proper forward of Oregon, a group it beat in final season’s Rose Bowl and received’t face once more this yr. However matchups with Penn State, Indiana and Michigan nonetheless loom.
Heading into Saturday’s sport, Minnesota seems like meals for a Buckeyes group that isn’t solely hungry — however wholesome, rested, and searching to turn out to be the second program since Georgia to win back-to-back nationwide titles since Georgia in 2021 and 2022.
RJ Younger is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities. Observe him @RJ_Young.
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