Ohio State fields elite offenses year after year, but have questions on defense. This offseason, Ryan Day has taken drastic action to fix it.

The Ohio State defense has had one solid season as a unit in the last four years. Batting .250 may be enough to remain on a roster in the MLB, but it’s unacceptable at The Ohio State University. The Silver Bullets last consistently shined in 2019 under Jeff Hafley and had a COVID year in 2020. Heading into the 2021 campaign, expectations were high to return to Buckeye standards. 

The Ohio State defense missed the mark again last year, where the Silver Bullets seemingly saw only a facade of improvement. The results on the field left Ryan Day at a crossroads early in his tenure. Either reshuffle the staff and fix it from within or overhaul the staff by swinging for the fences. 

Day’s mantra is centered around Fight. He religiously preaches to his teams to keep swinging. As we know, the head coach is not afraid to take risks. That is precisely how Day is handling his first “crisis” as the man in charge. 

Coach Day has added Justin Frye to the offensive staff. He will replace Greg Studrawa after a disappointing output by his offensive line last season. Working alongside Frye will be Mike Sollene as a GA for the OL. He previously worked under Dan Mullen at Florida and will bring SEC experience to Columbus.

However, the real haymakers were thrown to the defensive staff where Jim Knowles (DC), Tim Walton, and Perry Eliano were brought on board. 

In addition to the coaching changes, the Buckeyes have also added a vital transfer, safety Tanner McAllister, from Oklahoma State. McAllister will bring experience and leadership to the secondary, which was lacking a year ago due to injuries and youth. 

There is no way to know for sure if Day’s hires are home runs or busts until the Buckeyes take the field next September. But on paper and based on track records, all of Day’s offseason moves appear to be excellent. The new coaching staff looks to finally piece together the defensive puzzle and allow Ohio State to field two championship-level units next season and going forward. 

Image Credit: The Ohio State University Athletics