Can Ohio State’s defensive changes get the Buckeyes back to championship contention?

You could squint at the numbers and convince yourself Ohio State’s defense wasn’t actually that bad last season. In fact, it’s been ranked in the top 50 in metrics such as efficiency, points per drive and yards per play each of the past two seasons. Not great, but not overwhelmingly bad either. Really it’s been average, or perhaps even a little better, in stretches.

And yet, every program has a standard.

So here’s another way to spin it: In 2020, the Buckeyes allowed 5.9 yards per play and 25.8 points per game, both the highest marks in program history. In 2021, they allowed 5.3 yards per play and 22.8 points per game, both the fifth-most in program in history.

The 2020 season ended with a lopsided loss to Alabama in the national championship game. The 2021 season featured two losses, including the first to rival Michigan since 2011, after which former Wolverines offensive coordinator Josh Gattis called into question the Buckeyes’ toughness. Ohio State’s four-year Big Ten title streak ended, and it failed to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2018.

“Our goal is to win championships,” head coach Ryan Day told The Athletic recently, “and when you don’t do that you have to figure out why that is.”

Simply put, the defense has not been nearly good enough. That doesn’t mean Ohio State has been perfect in every other facet as Day heads into his fourth season at the helm, but the defense has been the team’s glaring weakness over the past two seasons and has seriously lagged behind the success on the other side of the ball.

So Day made a change this offseason, tapping veteran Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to orchestrate a turnaround in Columbus. The objective for Knowles is simple: Take the recipe that helped him build a top-10 defense in Stillwater, use it to get Ohio State back to meeting its program standard — and do so quickly. If he’s successful, then it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which the Buckeyes don’t regularly contend for championships under Day, who’s gone to the Playoff twice in three seasons despite the relative struggles on defense in two of those years.

“Some of the things over the years that I thought was good about the way our defense was organized is if we went up early in games, it was hard for teams to get back into the game because of the way we were designed,” Day said. “But, you know, I just didn’t think we were executing at a high enough level at the end of the day. Now with this different style, it’s a different approach, this will allow us an opportunity to execute at a higher level.”

Knowles’ defense is expected to be more aggressive and multiple than the previous defenses of Day’s tenure. Ohio State dabbled in change-ups last year, stripping former coordinator Kerry Coombs of play-calling duties after a loss to Oregon in Week 2 and giving them to secondary coach Matt Barnes. The apparent improvements that followed turned out to be more about the quality of the competition; in the final game of the regular season, Michigan rushed for nearly 300 yards and six touchdowns in an embarrassing loss in Ann Arbor. Utah likewise put it on the Buckeyes in the first half of the Rose Bowl, though OSU rallied in the second half to win a shootout and end its season on a positive note.

It was apparent, however, that the defense required a more substantive overhaul than merely shuffling some staff around.

“It just felt like after the year was over that it was the right time to make a fresh start,” Day said.

He hired Knowles, who will be Day’s third defensive coordinator in four seasons, as well as new coaches in the secondary: cornerbacks coach Tim Walton from the Jacksonville Jaguars and safeties coach Perry Eliano from Cincinnati. Veteran defensive line coach Larry Johnson is the only defensive assistant who was retained.

Their task is to get Ohio State’s defense operating at a level that’s closer to what we’ve seen from Day’s offense the last three years.

The Buckeyes have been top three nationally in offensive efficiency in each of Day’s three seasons, and have done it in different ways — ranking fifth nationally in rushing yards in 2019 and having arguably the best passing offense in the country last year. That side will be stacked again with C.J. Stroud returning at quarterback, Jaxon Smith-Njigba at receiver, TreVeyon Henderson at running back and four players with starting experience along the offensive line.

Day wants his team to run the ball better — improving the physicality on both sides of the ball is a general theme heading into the 2022 season — but OSU should have one of the more explosive offenses in the country yet again no matter what form it takes on.

If the defense can take a step forward, then Ohio State should be right back where Day and the fan base expect it to be every year.

“You’re not allowed to have a ‘down’ year,” Day said. “For most people, to win 11 games and to win the Rose Bowl, that’s a good year. That’s not what Ohio State is about, and that’s what makes it great.”

Offense

What does a player do for an encore after finishing as the second-most efficient passer in the country while ranking top five nationally in yards (4,435), yards per attempt (10.1), yards per game (369.2) and touchdowns (44)?

“Not get bored making the routine plays,” Day said of Stroud, who finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a redshirt freshman in 2021.

There was a point early last season in which things could have perhaps gone sideways for Stroud. He played through shoulder pain in the first few games of the season. His accuracy fluctuated a bit. He threw an interception in each of the first three games and didn’t have a particularly efficient outing against Tulsa one week after the Buckeyes lost to Oregon. Some wondered if he was the man for the job — even though he threw for nearly 500 yards and three touchdowns against the Ducks.

Stroud sat in Week 4 against Akron to rest his shoulder. In doing so, he gained some perspective on life as Ohio State’s starting quarterback.

“When you’re in it, to take a step back for a week allows you a deep breath and to see how things are going,” Day said. “I think that helps a young quarterback. He took a lot of flak for that Oregon game, and that wasn’t his fault. But that allowed him an opportunity to grow fast. He had to.”

Stroud’s supporting cast will be a bit different, but still stellar.

Gone are first-round receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. Back is Smith-Njigba, who outpaced both in receptions (95) and yards (1,606) last season.

Smith-Njigba, who’s expected to move all over the formation this year after operating mostly in the slot in 2021, will no doubt get more attention. That, however, shouldn’t be a problem for Ohio State. “If you just decide that you’re gonna double Jaxon,” Day said, “there’s other ways that we can hurt you.”

The staff feels good about four receivers who are ready to go right now: Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egubka and Julian Fleming. The latter two were the top receiver prospects in the 2021 and 2020 recruiting classes, respectively. Harrison, meanwhile, had a mini coming-out-party with three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl.

If the receiver rotation stretches beyond those four, Kamryn Babb — who’s suffered multiple ACL injuries but is trying to get on the field this fall — and Jayden Ballard would be next in line.

There is the utmost confidence that a passing offense that’s ranked No. 2, No. 9, No. 5 and No. 3 nationally in efficiency over the past four seasons will not take a step back in 2022. Where Day would like to see a step forward is in the run game.

TreVeyon Henderson averaged 6.8 yards per carry as a true freshman. (Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)

A cursory glance of the numbers would tell you the Buckeyes ran the ball fine in 2021. But they did not run the ball well enough in the games that mattered most, including a paltry 2.1 yards per rush in the loss to Michigan.

“When you look at the numbers, it’s easy to say, ‘Well, where do we get better?’ But the truth is you have to build every year from the foundation up,” Day said. “You don’t just show up and all the sudden have 500 yards and 50 points. It doesn’t work that way. It starts off with the fundamentals up front and being able to run the football. It really comes down to if we’re gonna block the guys in our one-on-one matchups. If we do, we’re gonna get (our running backs) to the next level. That sounds simple, but it’s not that simple.”

There are three backs who will get work. Last season, Henderson rushed for 1,255 yards (second-most by a freshman in program history) and scored 19 touchdowns (most by a freshman). His 277 yards against Tulsa established a new record for an Ohio State freshman. He’s a legitimate home run hitter who tied for seventh in the nation with eight rushes of 30 yards or more last fall.

“If they can get me out into space, I’m dangerous,” Henderson said. “They did a good job of that last year.”

The idea will be to do the same this year while Henderson shares the load a bit with the physical Miyan Williams and the shifty Evan Pryor, a second-year player whose role should expand in 2022.

The offensive line returns three starters in right tackle Dawand Jones, center Luke Wypler and Paris Johnson Jr., who’s moving from guard to left tackle. Right guard Matthew Jones made a couple of starts last year as well and rotated in regularly. It’s fair to say that four starters return, even if the pieces are being moved around a bit. The new face is left guard Donovan Jackson, the No. 1 player at the position in the 2021 recruiting class.

It’s a mostly experienced group, one that was one of the best pass-blocking outfits in the country up until it ran into Michigan’s pass rushers in the last week of the regular season. That will need to be more consistent throughout this year, and the group will need to take a step forward as run blockers for the offense to get to where Day wants it to be.

There are some depth concerns up front, but getting back Josh Fryar, a versatile third-year player who sat out the spring, will help.

Ohio State doesn’t feature the tight end group much in the passing game, but there are some intriguing potential targets in Joe Royer and converted receiver Gee Scott Jr. The bulk of the blocking duties will be handled by Cade Stover and H-back/fullback Mitch Rossi.

Key stat to know: Ohio State was one of the best short-yardage rushing teams in the country in 2019 but has seen that slip the past two seasons. The Buckeyes converted 90.3 percent of rushes on third-and-2 or shorter into first downs in 2019, the second-best rate in the country, per Pro Football Focus. That number dropped to 75 percent over the past two seasons. Running backs were hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 34 percent of those short-yardage runs over the last two seasons.

Defense

The most damning statement on Ohio State’s shortcomings last season came from linebacker Steele Chambers this spring when he was asked if it felt at times that offenses were too easily keyed in on what the Buckeyes were doing.

“Yeah,” he said. “We have more than like two or three plays in a game now, and it’s definitely a lot better knowing that we have more ammunition.”

Knowles won’t be nearly as static in his looks as the defenses in Day’s previous three seasons. He’ll bring more pressure. It’s a different flavor. One that, when combined with a solid amount of returning experience, should yield better results.

While Knowles has described his defense as “safety-driven,” Ohio State’s best defenses have often been spearheaded by dominant defensive lines. There’s some cautious optimism that this year’s line — highlighted mostly by a group of second-year players with strong recruiting pedigrees — can get back to that.

“You wouldn’t say over the last couple years that we were consistently dominant up front,” Day said. “We had some good games but also had some games that we weren’t pleased with. I think we have a chance to be dominant. We need to grow and keep building. With Jim’s style of defense, he’s gonna run them into some plays, too, and that’s exciting.”

The program signed two of the top three defensive linemen in the 2021 recruiting class in five-star prospects J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. Along with that duo, it brought in tackles Mike Hall, a top-60 recruit, and top-200 prospect Tyleik Williams (the team’s returning sack leader with five).

Ohio State’s defense was top 10 in the country in sacks six times in seven years from 2013 through 2019. In 2020, it ranked 49th (while only playing eight games). Last season, it ranked 34th. It will need more from its pass rush this year. Highly touted ends have made second-year jumps in the program in recent memory, and the hope is that Tuimoloau and Sawyer — who could get a lot of work in Knowles’ hybrid jack position — will do the same this season.

“I think J.T. has got great feet, excellent take-off. His reactions are excellent,” Knowles said. “He’s got a chance to be a dominant player.”

Beyond any one individual, it’s the depth of the group that has Day most excited. That second-year foursome will play a lot, but there will be a rotation that also includes more veteran players. Defensive tackle Jerron Cage will be in his sixth season. End Tyler Friday, who missed 2021 with a torn ACL, will be in his fifth season. So will tackle Taron Vincent. Third-year tackle Ty Hamilton should have a rotational role. Meanwhile, fourth-year end Zach Harrison is back with a chance to improve his draft stock and realize more of the potential he displayed as a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Moving around some in Knowles’ new scheme could unlock some more production.

There’s also an incoming group of 2022 recruits that features four prospects ranked in the top 130 nationally. Caden Curry has the best chance of seeing the field early right now. He was the only member of the group to enroll early and has the versatility to play anywhere along the front.

Ohio State ranked ninth in the Big Ten in scoring defense in 2021. (Brian Rothmuller / Getty Images)

Knowles will be the position coach for a linebacker group that returns the four players who played the majority of the snaps last season. That’s also a group that took some lumps, including the exit of two seniors who transferred in September.

Chambers showed promise after converting from running back last summer and should continue growing into the position this year. He and Tommy Eichenberg are the favorites to start coming out of the spring.

“I thought Tommy was probably the most improved of all those guys,” Day said. “He has that year under his belt, and took the second half of the Rose Bowl (a game which Eichenberg had 17 tackles) and continued that throughout the spring.”

Third-year player Cody Simon battled through some injuries last year and this spring, but he’ll be back and in the mix. So too will fifth-year player Teradja Mitchell, who was a captain last year. Mitchell, Palaie Gaoteote and Reid Carrico should factor in whenever Knowles opts to play more traditional 4-3 fronts against opponents that utilize bigger personnel (think Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Michigan) — though how often that happens remains to be seen.

Two new faces to keep an eye on: Arizona State transfer Chip Trayanum, who is also converting from running back to linebacker, and five-star freshman C.J. Hicks, the top-rated player in OSU’s 2022 recruiting class.

The roster is light on cornerbacks following a couple of transfers this offseason. The staff could have looked into the portal for upgrades or reinforcements. The reason it didn’t? A trio of second-year corners who have bright futures. That includes Denzel Burke, who started every game and played nearly every defensive snap last season, as well as Jakailin Johnson and Jordan Hancock — both of whom will be stepping into bigger roles this season.

“We felt really good about all three of those guys,” Day said. “I’m pleased with the spring those guys had, and I’m glad we made the decisions we did (in the portal).”

That trio will team with fifth-year corner Cameron Brown, but the lack of depth there could get tricky, especially when you consider Brown’s checkered injury history.

“When he’s healthy, he’s great,” Day said. “He knows the challenge. It’s not any secret. The goal is to stay healthy and stay consistent. When he’s good, he’s very good.”

As long as the players take to the new scheme, safety could be a position of strength after being a bit of a liability a year ago. Ronnie Hickman returns after leading the defense in tackles and will be moving from what was more of a strong safety role into a free safety position in Knowles’ defense. Josh Proctor, who missed all but one game and some change last season after breaking his leg against Oregon, should start next to Hickman provided he’s healthy enough to do so — and he’s said to be ahead of schedule in his rehab. That’s a versatile pair for Knowles to move around the board and create disguise.

Kourt Williams, Lathan Ransom — who broke his leg in the Rose Bowl but is eyeing a return in time for camp in August — and true freshman Kye Stokes will all be in that mix as well. Incoming freshman Sonny Styles, who’s skipping his senior year of high school and joining the team later this summer, is a wild card to keep in mind. The five-star prospect has length and size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), as well as a skill set, that no one else in the safety room possesses.

The nickel position will be manned by Oklahoma State transfer Tanner McCalister — who was a valuable asset in the spring due to his familiarity with Knowles’ system — and Cameron Martinez.

Key stat to know: Ohio State ranked top 10 in the country in 2019 and 2020 in the rate at which it pressured opposing quarterbacks. Last season, it ranked No. 44, per PFF, with a pressure rate of 30.1 percent. That’s not terribly far off the national average but a decline nonetheless for a program that prides itself on affecting (and hitting) opposing quarterbacks.

Special teams

Returning starters abound in punter Jesse Mirco, kicker Noah Ruggles and long snapper Bradley Robinson — who’s coming back for his seventh college football season. Ruggles was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award last year and crucial in back-to-back nine-point wins against Penn State and Nebraska in which he made four field goals in each game.

The Buckeyes are carrying three scholarship kickers. They added USC transfer Parker Lewis this spring. And while Ruggles is the incumbent on field goals, Lewis could factor in on kickoffs or in longer field goal situations. Ruggles’ career long is 49 yards. Lewis’ is 52.

Martinez, an electric offensive player as a quarterback in high school, could be involved in punt returns. Egbuka led the Big Ten and was top 15 nationally with a kickoff return average of 29 yards on 20 returns. He’ll look to end Ohio State’s kick return touchdown drought, which extends back to the 2010 season.

Opposing scouting report

Two coaches familiar with Ohio State offered their thoughts on the 2022 Buckeyes.

“They lost the two first-round receivers and they should still be loaded on offense. As good as (Wilson and Olave) were, I thought (Smith-Njigba) was the alpha of the group. He’s a different dude. He’s tougher. His change of direction is better. They have an assembly line of big, talented receivers. They’ve recruited so well there and they’ve developed them well.

“Stroud’s so good. He’s very natural. Can make every throw. He’s not the runner like (Justin) Fields was, but he’s a more polished passer. I think he’s the best quarterback they’ve had there because he’s the most accurate and can do so much with his arm. You can see him getting better and better.

“(Henderson) is a stud. I think he’s the best back they’ve had in this run. He can win a Heisman there. He can do everything well, and the guys behind him would start at most of the places in our league. I don’t think their O-line is very good. They look better than they play. To me, that’s an issue they needed to fix. It’s the one weakness of their offense. Their most talented guy last year (Nicholas Petit-Frere) would compound a bad play and make a few more right after. There was a lot of that there. They just didn’t seem to be together or play well as a unit. Maybe the coaching change will help that.

“They’ve had a big drop-off up front on the D-line. They’ve got some good-looking dudes, but there’s no guy who scares you right now when you watch them on film. One of the younger guys might become that, maybe (Tuimoloau) but we’ll see — the bar has been so high there.  That D-line used to cover up some issues on the back end. The linebackers behind them are OK, but they were a liability last year, and the secondary, they weren’t as talented as they’ve been and you could tell they weren’t playing with as much confidence. Very inconsistent. They’ve been up and down for a while there.”

How the Buckeyes have recruited from 2019 to 2022

Ohio State ranks fifth nationally in average recruiting ranking over the last four years, trailing only Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and LSU. That average is dragged down by a 2019 class that ranked 14th in the country. The last three classes ranked in the top five.

Over that span, the Buckeyes signed 15 five-star prospects and 32 top-100 players overall. Twenty-seven of those 32 top-100 players are still on the current roster.

Day has mostly maintained the elevated level of recruiting success that the program experienced under Urban Meyer. In fact, the 2021 class bested Meyer’s top OSU classes on paper. That group included seven five-star prospects — all but one, quarterback Quinn Ewers, is still on the roster — and 14 top-100 players. That class’ average 247Sports Composite player rating of 94.98 is Ohio State’s best in the modern recruiting era.

The program has also experienced newfound national success in recruiting quarterbacks and receivers, and the last two classes saw an uptick in defensive talent. The Buckeyes signed two combined top-100 defensive prospects in 2019 and 2020 — which accounts for some of the struggles the past two years. In the last two classes, they have signed 10 combined top-100 defensive players.

In the transfer portal

Ohio State added just three transfers in McCalister, Trayanum and Lewis. That’s a less-active approach than a lot of teams, and it’s created a perception that the Buckeyes aren’t aggressive enough in acquiring transfers compared to, say, Alabama.

Day prefers the approach of addressing needs when they arise, sure, but not taking players just because they could be upgrades.

“When you bring in a transfer you’re taking a risk, especially when you say certain things to families and sell them on the fact that their son is going to come here to develop and play. Then all of the sudden you bring someone in to jump them in line, that’s a tough take,” Day said. “Does it work for some people? I guess. When it’s appropriate, we’ll do it. Just to go bring in people because they’re the best available, I think that’s a slippery slope for the culture of your team. We’re pleased with where we’re at.”

OSU has added big-name transfers in recent years, Fields chief among them. Ruggles was a transfer addition last year. Running back Trey Sermon and guard Jonah Jackson were added to fill voids at starting positions in the past. However, the Buckeyes have operated with more selectivity than most during Day’s tenure.

Sixteen players have exited the program via the transfer portal dating back to last August. However, among that group, only safety Bryson Shaw (USC) appeared likely to contend for a spot on the two-deep this coming season. Ewers, the No. 1 quarterback in 2021 after reclassifying from 2022, was the most high-profile departure when he left for Texas following the end of the regular season.

Impact of coaching changes

Ohio State has had remarkable offensive staff stability since 2018, with only three new additions to that side of the staff. The new name this year is offensive line coach Justin Frye, who comes over from UCLA, where he also had the title of offensive coordinator under Day’s mentor, Chip Kelly.

The defensive staff? That’s been another matter entirely.

Ohio State has had 13 different defensive assistants going back to 2018, including four different coordinators — technically five if you consider Barnes a coordinator after he took over play-calling duties last year.

Ryan Day has a 34-4 record as the head coach at Ohio State. (Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)

The lack of coaching stability on that side is both a symptom and a cause of the substandard on-field results. By bringing in the veteran Knowles, Day hopes to not only see improved play but also some long-term stability.

“That’s the goal,” he said. “When you coach on one side of the ball, you’re always concerned with the stability on the other side. Jim does want to be here for a while. He signed a three-year contract. He’s excited about chasing a national championship here, coaching really good players. That was part of the draw. He’s not looking to keep rising. When you look at his career, that’s not something that he’s done. He’s wanted to do a good job wherever he was at. That did play into the decision.”

Schedule

Date	Team	Site
Sept. 3	Notre Dame	Home
Sept. 10	Arkansas State	Home
Sept. 17	Toledo	Home
Sept. 24	Wisconsin	Home
Oct. 1	Rutgers	Home
Oct. 8	Michigan State	Away
Oct. 22	Iowa	Home
Oct. 29	Penn State	Away
Nov. 5	Northwestern	Away
Nov. 12	Indiana	Home
Nov. 19	Maryland	Away
Nov. 26	Michigan	Home

Final assessment

One thing Day is banking on is reaping the rewards of playing so many young players in 2021. Twenty Buckeyes who logged at least 100 snaps last year were in the first or second year in the program, and 18 of them return this season (10 on offense and eight on defense).

“You invest in that and you hope that down the road it pays dividends,” Day said.

The now second- and third-year players figure to be the most impactful, which was a pretty good formula for Ohio State the last time it won a national championship in 2014.

This team has that potential, but only if the defense can take a step forward.

Editor’s note: This is part of a series previewing Power 5 and top Group of 5 teams for the 2022 college football season.

(Top photo of C.J. Stroud: Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)