This defensive struggles for Ohio State have been well chronicled the past two seasons. The Buckeyes gave up a combined 97 points in their final two games of 2021, a historically abysmal performance. In many of the biggest games, the Buckeye defense has been out-schemed and out played to the point where even historically prolific offenses couldn’t keep up with the pace. Ryan Day was famously outwardly disgusted with such a performance in this past year’s Rose Bowl against Utah. This was a very alarming sign, to say the least.
The acquisition of new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State is no doubt a shot of adrenaline into the defense of the Buckeyes. His intensity, accountability and discipline certainly make him the right man for the job. However, this is a challenge that even Knowles admits he’s new to in that he will not have a “year or two” to implement and execute his defense; he instead has this off-season. This urgency was and is being felt all around the program from clearing out a large chunk of the defensive staff, to multiple players, including some starters like Bryson Shaw, transferring after it had been made clear they aren’t going to receive as much playing time as they would like.
These kind of changes are great signs moving forward that there will be no games being played under Knowles as he inherits a much more talented roster than he has at Oklahoma State. Ohio State also had one of the youngest defenses in all of college football last year, so there’s no doubt that getting a group that is used to one another will help Knowles implement his plans tremendously.
It’s no secret that patience is wearing thin with the Ohio State defense and how could they not when your head coach is one of the brightest offensive minds/QB guru’s in football but the other side of the ball becomes a liability in the lightest of terms. The reality is this season is going to be a vital one for projecting the future of the program in the near future. If defensive issues continue to plague the buckeyes, the stories about Day moving to the NFL ranks may very well gain some traction and the last thing we need is our head coach pulling a “Harbaugh” in the off-season, flirting with the NFL. This is not to say that Coach Day is anything like Jim, but that’s exactly why he’s so attractive to front offices at the next level and we should always be cognizant of that.
Featured image via: On3
Grant was born in Columbus and raised in Dayton, Ohio. At one point a collegiate baseball player, Grant also has a B.A. in Management and Leadership Studies. He serves as Creative Director, producer and contributor at The Silver Bulletin. Aside from the Buckeyes, he is an avid supporter of both the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals. Favorite Buckeyes: Braxton Miller, AJ Hawk, Ted Ginn Jr