Defensive Changes Continue To Bring Tangible Improvement For The State Of Ohio: “There’s A Different Look In Our Eyes”

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Ryan Day still doesn’t know if the decisions he made after the Buckeyes lost in Week 2 to Oregon will turn out to be the right ones.

Some things, the Ohio State head coach said after Saturday’s victory, can only be accurately assessed with hindsight, and possibly after the end of the season. What was clear after the loss early in the season, however, was that changes needed to be made to the defense.

“You aren’t always right, but you’re doing the best job you can think of at the time of making a solid decision, because that’s leadership,” Day said. “And so, we’ll see. We’ll see how it goes, we still have a lot of football left. ”

This may be a small sample, but the only consistent interpretation of Ohio State’s last three defensive performances is that these changes have paid off so far. With secondary coach Matt Barnes calling the games, defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs seeing things out of the box and the covers varying, the Buckeyes’ defensive measures have improved across the board.

After giving up 86 points combined to Minnesota, Oregon and Tulsa in the first three weeks, Ohio State only gave Akron, Rutgers and Maryland 37. No team has scored more than 20 points against the Buckeyes since the Oregon game, and Ohio State is now 33rd in the nation in defense with just 20.5 points allowed per game.

“I see confidence, I see defensive staff working together. Kerry Coombs got the ball of the game today, ”said Day. “It’s because of everything he’s been through the last couple of weeks, and he’s just kept showing up everyday, and he’s a huge part of the defense. But at the same time, we put together a few things and we have a little rhythm.

When Ohio State surrendered 472 yards and six rushing touchdowns in just the first two games of the year, it emerged that the Buckeyes’ run defense could be just as much of an issue as the pass defense. which received so much criticism in 2020.

But in the last four games, Ohio State has allowed just 316 total rushing yards and no rushing touchdowns, with teams averaging 2.34 yards per carry against the Buckeyes. Maryland had just 56 rushing yards on Saturday averaging 1.6 yards per attempt.

“Matt does a great job calling him, I think Larry does a great job with his guys up front, Al Washington is starting to build some stability in the linebacker,” Day said. “These guys who are all working together, they’re starting to see through one lens, and you can see it over there. The confidence is there, it is strong. We still have a lot of football to play and some very good opponents here in the second half of the season, so we haven’t done anything yet, but we’re building on it.

Surprisingly, given the program’s track record, rushing passing had been a problem for Ohio State during the first quarter of the season. In the first three games, the Buckeyes registered just four sacks. Since then, Johnson’s defensive line has racked up 15 sacks, including nine against Akron and five against an offensive line from Maryland that had given up just six all season Saturday.

Real freshmen Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau accounted for seven of those sacks, and Day said it just took time for young players in defense to adjust to their roles.

RELATED Freshman Tracker: Emeka Egbuka Shines, TreVeyon Henderson Does It All, Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau Get Sacks

“I think there were a lot of guys who just didn’t have a lot of experience,” Day said. “Maybe there wasn’t a lot of confidence that they could do it on their own, but also that the guy next to them could do it. Being with the fans and going through Skull Session and the walk, all of those things were new to everyone. It took a while for some guys to have reps under their belt, to gain self-confidence. ”

Steele Chambers, who quickly established himself as a key linebacker in his first year in the role, did not dispel the idea after Saturday’s game.

“I just think you can say that we are playing with a lot more energy, we are definitely getting more comfortable with the system that we have put in place,” said Chambers, who was tied at the top of the team with seven total tackles against Maryland. . “I think we just have more confidence in each other that we will do our job and do the right thing.”

One of the most impressive defensive improvements of all is the frequency with which the State of Ohio has recently returned opposing offenses. The Buckeyes didn’t have an interception in the first two games, but have managed at least two assists in every game since the game against Oregon.

If nine interceptions in the last four games weren’t stellar enough, Ohio State has returned one of them for a touchdown in each of those competitions. On Saturday, it was third-year defenseman Craig Young who extended the six-pick streak, returning a 70-yard interception in the fourth quarter into the end zone.

“It’s just a testament to our preparation, because we work out this stuff, we do it every day in training, so we’re not at all surprised by that,” Chambers said. “But it’s great to see guys like Craig over there. By doing that, all of our guys are flying around having fun.

Day said there wasn’t just one thing to emphasize when awarding the defensive recovery. Experience gained, growing confidence, and a more aggressive play-calling approach all helped, but Chambers said the group’s gut courage needs to be considered as well.

“I think it shows our determination,” Chambers said. “Being able to come back from that Week 2 loss takes heart to do that, and I think we definitely have that heart.

Day isn’t ready to declare Buckeye’s defense fully mended. Anyone looking to blow the sails of Ohio State might point out that Akron, Rutgers and Maryland aren’t exactly elite competition and the Buckeyes have yet to show their supposed improvement against a ranked team.

Ohio State will have that chance soon enough, but the signs are certainly positive heading into the week off.

“We’re still a long way off, and we have a long way to go,” Day said. “But you can see it’s a different team right now. There is a different walk, there is a different look in our eyes.



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