Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia isn’t one to sugarcoat anything.

Even with his transition from the NFL to college football after succeeding Jim Knowles, there are still aspects of football that make it identical regardless of college or the pros.

One of those, of course, is the bye week. The Buckeyes had the luxury this postseason of earning the extra rest as opposed to last year’s national title run which Patricia says is necessary for this year’s team.

“We’d have bye-week kind of moments in the NFL, but this is a really long layover and break,” Patricia told reporters Monday. “Right now, I’m trying to trust the expertise in the building. Some of the things we did transfer, you know, because we have some different kind of scheduling and when everybody is in school and that stuff.”

Patricia said despite the adjustments, the Buckeyes are better off as they try to run the table to win back-to-back national titles.

“The players have done an unbelievable job,” Patricia said. “Again, give them all the credit. I think they’ve played so hard and aggressive and flying around on the field. And it is a lot of fun. I tell them all the time, it’s such a privilege to be up there in front of the group and talk to the group. And just for me, personally, it has been so much fun to come back to college and have that little bit of a youthful energy with the players that we have here and their excitement to go out and play.”

The Buckeyes are set to play the Miami Hurricanes New Year’s Eve in this year’s Cotton Bowl, the same bowl where the Buckeyes ended the Texas Longhorns’ season in January.

Although the site is identical, the task at hand to beat a stingy Hurricanes team who escaped College Station this past Saturday with a 10-3 win against the Texas A&M Aggies is the same: putting the stars in a position. to succeed, such. as linebacker Arvell Reese.

“You don’t ever want to not make sure your good players are doing things that they do well,” Patricia said of Reese.

Kickoff between Ohio State and Miami is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.