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Does Ohio State have a championship-level defense? We’re about to find out
By Alex Hickey
Published:
Of the Big Ten’s Big 3 Playoff contenders, Ohio State has looked the furthest from clicking on all cylinders in the first month of the season.
Michigan and Penn State are fully in sync on both sides of the ball. But Ohio State’s trademark offensive explosiveness has largely been absent in road wins at Indiana and Notre Dame. The Buckeyes are just 38th nationally in points per game.
Ohio State hasn’t finished lower than 20th in scoring since 2015 or lower than 30th since the debacle of 2011.
To some, that might come across as a sign that the Buckeyes will be in trouble against the Nittany Lions, Wolverines, or both.
But there’s also a glass-half-full way of looking at things.
- Kyle McCord’s game-winning drive at Notre Dame may prove to be the boost he needs to find his stride, and he will begin putting up the cartoon numbers expected of an Ohio State QB in short order. Or …
- Ohio State can get by with McCord being a good, but not great, quarterback — because it has the defense to do so.
Ohio State’s defensive performance at Notre Dame showed some signs that this is the case. The Buckeyes limited the Fighting Irish to their season lows in points, total yards and rushing yards.
If Ohio State’s defense repeats that feat against a Maryland offense that enters this week’s game ranked 15th nationally in scoring, the Buckeyes will prove their hot start on that side of the ball is no mirage.
It will strongly state the case that this defense is elite.
An elite defense … with a catch
Statistically, the Buckeyes are off to a great start. Ohio State’s defense is currently 2nd nationally in points per game allowed (8.5) and 4th in yards per play (4.1). Opponents have only driven into Ohio State’s red zone 6 times in 4 games.
The Buckeyes have been nails against the run in particular.
Ohio State has allowed only 1 carry of more than 20 yards. Only 10 defenses nationally have allowed 1 or fewer big gains on the ground at this stage of the season.
Considering who the Buckeyes eventually have to beat — Penn State, Michigan and even Wisconsin — that is a potentially valuable trait. Each of those teams is equipped for breaking off big gains. And so is the team coming up.
Maryland running back Roman Hemby is currently tied for 2nd in the B1G with 4 carries of at least 20 yards.
The Buckeyes also are strong against the pass. But they have yet to cross the border into spectacular range.
Ohio State is 3rd in the B1G behind Iowa and Penn State in passing yardage, allowing 5.4 yards per attempt. The Bucks are also 2nd behind the Nittany Lions in opponent passer rating.
But this defense also has an Achilles heel. Though Ohio State has excelled at stopping opponents, it has not shown an ability to create havoc.
The Buckeyes are 13th in the B1G with 1.25 sacks per game and 10th with 4.75 TFL per game. They only have 5 takeaways — tied for 100th nationally. But they’ve made the most of those opportunities — 2 of the takeaways turned into Ohio State defensive touchdowns.
If this is to be a championship defense, at some point it will need to be more than a stone wall. The Buckeyes also need to get behind the line of scrimmage and force opponents to make mistakes.
Why Maryland is an ideal test
Ohio State’s defense made significant strides in its 1st season under Jim Knowles, improving from 59th nationally in yards allowed in 2021 to 14th in 2022.
But in losses to Michigan and Georgia, that defense got lit up. Improved did not equate to championship-caliber.
And in Week 11, Maryland was the first team that showed a harbinger of what was to come for Ohio State’s D in its next 2 games.
Taulia Tagovailoa completed 73% of his passes for 8.6 yards per attempt with 2 touchdowns and a 163.01 passer rating.
The YPA and passer rating totals were a season-high against the Buckeyes at the time. For the Terrapins, they still came in a losing effort. Maryland’s defense was unable to stop Ohio State’s firepower in a 43-30 shootout.
But for Michigan and Georgia, they provided a blueprint. The Wolverines and Bulldogs exploited the weaknesses pointed out by Maryland for better than 11 yards per pass attempt in their wins over the Buckeyes.
There is potential for the same outcome this year.
Maryland, a 3-touchdown underdog, is unlikely to beat the Buckeyes. But the Terps could again expose the path for a more complete team to do so.
And if the Bucks shut down the Terps completely?
It’s not definitive proof that Ohio State has a championship-caliber defense this year. But it will be a very good indicator of that possibility.
Alex Hickey is an award-winning writer who has watched Big Ten sports since it was a numerically accurate description of league membership. Alex has covered college football and basketball since 2008, with stops on the McNeese State, LSU and West Virginia beats before being hired as Saturday Tradition's Big Ten columnist in 2021. He is an Illinois native and 2004 Indiana University graduate.