After the collapse against Texas in week two, it felt like this year's new defense was just going to need time to gel. Now, after giving up 30 points against USC and 41 against Oregon, they have turned into one of the biggest disappointments of this season.

The game against the Ducks, which was at home, by the way, proved exactly why this year's defense was the biggest thing holding the Buckeyes back from another successful season. They were up 14-0 early in that game against Oregon, and then they gave up 38 unanswered points, which led to another big loss in back-to-back weeks.

There is no difference-maker on this year's defense. They are missing a leader who can help get this team back on track, and it has led to quite a few tough losses for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes leader in tackles is Earl Little Jr. with 43 tackles on the year, while the leader in sacks is Kenyatta Jackson Jr. who only has three sacks accredited to his name. They are nowhere close to being as disruptive as they were last year.

That brings in the question: was Matt Patricia too reliant on the talent he had last season?

No one expected the Buckeyes to continue the production from last year after losing guys like Caleb Downs and Arvell Reese. This season, though, it feels like Patricia is lost on the play-calling and can't make adjustments.

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It feels like a lot of the success that Patricia had with the Buckeyes in his first season was because of the players he had on the field and not because of his schemes. This year has really pulled the curtain back and revealed a lot about who Patricia is as a defensive coordinator.

When playing at Ohio State, you are going to play in a lot of high-stakes matchups. What the Buckeyes have been known for is not cracking under pressure. Unfortunately, this year has been the complete opposite of years past.

The Buckeyes, who now sit at a 6-3 record this year, have given up 165 points through nine games. That's roughly 18 points a game and that number has skyrocketed these past two weeks.

While the Buckeyes' playoff chances seem very slim after their third loss, they can still finish the season strong. Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan cannot be taken lightly coming down the stretch. These three games are prime opportunities for the Buckeyes' defense to prove they can compete.

It feels at this point in the season that Patricia could already be on the hot seat as defensive coordinator in Columbus. The defense has three games left to show the college football world that they are for real and aren't as big a letdown as people are claiming they are.