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Urban Meyer addresses defensive issues ahead of Michigan game
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Urban Meyer’s weekly press conference was loaded with questions about defense and Michigan. Those are the two topics everyone wanted to touch on.
Saturday, Ohio State surrendered over 500 yards in a 52-51 win over Maryland. Though the Buckeyes escaped College Park with a win, it was one of the worst defensive outings in program history. It wasn’t exactly the kind of performance Ohio State had hoped for just one week prior to a showdown with Michigan.
Meyer said there were a lot of things went wrong against the Terrapins.
“A bunch of things happened, obviously,” Meyer said Monday. “It was alarming. Obviously it was not good.”
It was a disappointing effort, mostly because Meyer believed the defense had taken some important steps since the Purdue loss in late October. But some of the simple things weren’t getting done probably.
Ohio State missed eight tackles against Maryland and struggled to contain the explosive plays, two issues the Buckeyes have been battling throughout the year.
Meyer said the conversations about fixing those defensive issues have been “uncomfortable and direct.”
The Buckeyes desperately need to tighten up defensively prior to Saturday’s game against Michigan. While the Wolverines don’t own college football’s most explosive offense, it has been one of the most efficient.
Donovan Peoples-Jones is capable of making big plays and Karan Higdon has been a force out of the backfield. Shea Patterson is unlike any Michigan quarterback Meyer has seen since arriving in Columbus.
If Ohio State’s doesn’t see major improvements defensively, it could be a long day in Columbus.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB