Ad Disclosure
Jack Sawyer: Ohio State’s defensive standard is ‘holding teams to single digits’
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Jack Sawyer knows Ohio State’s defense has still been a work in progress coming out of Jim Knowles’ first season as the team’s defensive coordinator. The Buckeyes did see some progress on the defensive side of the ball in 2022 but it is still not up to the standard in Columbus.
Speaking with the media this week, Sawyer said the mindset on defense is that the unit will win games for Ohio State as opposed to being a question mark. He downplayed any concerns related to the quarterback battle and said the defense knows the “offense is gonna be fine.”
Still, the defense wants to be the reason to win and dominate games, setting the standard of holding teams below 10 points per game.
“We feel like the offense is gonna be fine,” said Sawyer. “The offensive line is looking great, receiving corps is probably the best in the country. One of the best running back rooms in the country, with a lot of talented tight ends so we’re not worried about the offense.
“On the defensive side of the ball, our mindset is we’re going to win games this year. We’re not gonna leave it up to the offense to have to score 40, 50 a game, but if they do, great. For us, we want to win games on defense. The standard is holding teams to single digits.”
That defense could play a big role in Ohio State’s title hopes with the team leading the way in the Big Ten Championship odds this fall. Interested fans can take part in our Ohio sports betting promo code to get in on the odds!
During his time with the media, Sawyer also touched on returning to the defensive end this season, a move he feels “very comfortable” and happy about. He spent the 2022 season in Knowles’ hybrid position but did not make much of an impact with 4.5 sacks and 6.5 TFL.
The return to defensive end is one that was made in collaboration with the head coaches, and everyone felt the move was the right one per Sawyer.
“Me and Coach Knowles and Coach J talked about it after last season, it’s what I wanted to do and that’s what they thought I was best at too,” Sayer explained. “So it was great and it’s been good being back at defensive end.”
Sawyer originally joined the Buckeyes in 2021 as a 5-star prospect and No. 5 player in the country per the 247 Sports Composite. He has just 7.5 sacks and 9.5 TFL, but it’s notable that Sawyer has been moved back and forth with the unit before settling into defensive end for this fall.
With 2 years under his belt and back at his usual position, we’ll see if Sawyer can have his breakout campaign in 2023.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.