The Ohio State defense gives the Indiana offense a fight during the Ohio State-Indiana game on Nov. 21. Ohio State won 42-35. Credit: Christian Harsa | Assistant Photo Editor
The defense may not look like it did in 2019, but players and coaches are adamant the 2020 group is not plagued by the same issues as the 2018 defense.
In 2018, Ohio State’s defense surrendered 25.7 points per game and more than 400 yards per contest. Although the 2019 defense avenged the previous group by allowing only 13.7 points per game, the 2020 Buckeyes appear to have struggled to continue the momentum after three consecutive games in which the defense unraveled in the second half.
However, head coach Ryan Day said the mistakes in the backend of the defense are correctable.
“I think the issues here are really on the pass game, and they’re correctable,” Day said Tuesday. “Maybe the one’s a couple years ago were a combination of run game and pass game. I know that we can correct them. I know we have the right scheme, now we just have to go do it.”
The defense allowed multiple big plays throughout the game, but particularly, after halftime when the team let up four second-half touchdowns for a second consecutive week.
Indiana redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was able to tally 491 passing yards to go along with five touchdowns.
The Buckeyes were able to get the better of Penix on one occasion when redshirt junior cornerback Shaun Wade was able to jump a pass and return it for a touchdown.
Although Wade — who had noted his subpar play early in the season was due to his hunger for interceptions — was able to convert the play, defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs said the defensive backs needed to be disciplined in their pursuit of big plays.
“I think sometimes we press or look to make a bigger play than what exists for us in the structure of our defense,” Coombs said Tuesday. “We don’t need to go, necessarily, make all the big plays. We need to make sure we’re not chasing something that’s not there that creates a big play.”
The Buckeyes would only rotate five players in the secondary, a number which Coombs said the team is continuing to explore in practice.
In terms of the overaggressive nature of the defense that leaves them susceptible to big plays, Coombs said knowing the right time to be aggressive comes with experience.
Coombs said that part of the blame falls on his shoulders for not getting the players to play a certain way.
“Whatever you see on the field is a reflection of what you’ve taught and how you’ve taught,” Coombs said. “It’s my opinion that when we make a mental mistake, that’s my fault. That’s something that I didn’t get coached well enough, didn’t get taught well enough and that’s my responsibility. That’s where we’ve got to see improvement this week.”
Graduate linebacker Tuf Borland said although experience is a necessary part of growth for the young players on the defense, he said that he has total confidence in the group.
The three-time captain said that the issues do not fall on any specific group and should be owned and addressed as a unit.
“The one thing we can’t do is point fingers. This is a collective problem, as a whole defense,” Borland said Tuesday. “Each unit, each person has to take accountability, learn from what’s happened in the past and just get better.”
Following the aerial onslaught from the Hoosiers, it is yet to be seen how offenses will attack the Buckeyes going forward.
Although senior linebacker Pete Werner believes teams will try to exploit similar issues again, he said they won’t find the same success.
“I hope they give it to us again, I hope they do, because we’re going to have it locked up,” Werner said Tuesday. “We’re going to do a great week this week prepping, but I really do, I hope they give it to us because it’s going to be a dead play for them.”
