The Ohio State football team rallied to defeat Maryland 37-17 in Columbus. Questions were raised again for the Buckeyes, so let’s discuss.

Dear fellow Buckeyes,

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 5-0 with a date against Purdue in West Lafayette next Saturday. Ohio State defeated Maryland 37-17 this weekend behind a slow start from the offense. Thankfully, the defense was stellar, forcing two turnovers and scoring a touchdown on Josh Proctor’s pick-six. 

Mike Locksley has been steadily building a solid foundation at Maryland. He has the Terps competing as the fourth or fifth-best team in the conference. The Terrapins should have been ranked in the Top 25 following a 5-0 start, but instead, teams like 4-2 LSU backloaded the poll. 

Ohio State’s win on Saturday was not the flashiest or prettiest, but the Buckeyes covered against an underrated team. A win is a win, especially during a season lacking a dominant elite squad. Of course, the Buckeyes started slow, but they played lights out in the second half. 

The 2023 Buckeyes are a different team than in years past. Ryan Day’s squad is littered with talent, but it doesn’t have to score 45 ppg to win anymore. Buckeye fans, you asked for a philosophy change with the defense, and you got one. Let’s dive into how Ohio State is a different team: 

1. Jim Knowles’ defense is elite

The Silver Bullets rank third nationally in scoring defense, giving up 11 points per game. Ohio State’s unit sits right behind its Big Ten East division foes Michigan (6.7) and Penn State (10.3), respectively. The Buckeyes have faced a different class of talent so far, so the numbers are arguably more impressive in Columbus. 

Either way, these three teams are among the best five in the country, and what a showdown the round-robin games will be between them. That’s why we play the games. 

Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom stepped up in critical moments on Saturday and intercepted Taulia Tagovailoa twice. Proctor returned his for a touchdown in the second quarter to spark the Buckeyes. 

Knowles dialed up pressure in the second half and began putting the squeeze on Maryland. A trend to notice with Knowles: he spends the first two series feeling out the opponent and then adjusts and clamps their offense. The same thing happens after halftime with the first possession. 

The defense was plagued by big plays for the last two seasons, surrendering eight plays of 40+ yards to Michigan and Georgia. This year, the Buckeyes have yet to surrender a chunk yardage gain of 40+, which is a massive improvement. 

Lastly, the linebackers were the weakest defensive unit for the second game in a row. Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers are veterans who must play at their best against Penn State and Michigan if Ohio State wants to win. Expect to see youngsters CJ Hicks and Sonny Styles added into the rotation in the middle to provide a spark. 

2. How the defensive philosophy affects the offense

As Joel Klatt pointed out on the broadcast, Jim Knowles changed his philosophy on defense to limit big plays. Doing so involves playing a touch softer in coverage, which sacrifices the effectiveness of an immediate pass rush because quarterbacks get the ball out quicker. 

Another ripple effect is occasionally surrendering longer possessions. One thing Ohio State is elite at this year is making the opposing offense earn every yard and score. Entering Saturday, the longest touchdown scored on the Buckeyes was two yards. 

Opposing teams have to sustain drives to be effective against Ohio State, and that’s a matchup Knowles is comfortable winning. The Buckeyes have done a great job in coverage on the backend with Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun. However, the safeties Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom have also stepped up to lock down the vertical passing game. 

As a result, occasionally giving up longer drives means taking plays out of the offense’s hand. This is important to understand, Ohio State fans. The trade-off of fewer plays for the offense is not giving up the big play on defense. We can all agree that it is worth it. 

Moreover, Kyle McCord is a first-year starter, and the offensive line has had a rollercoaster start, so any problem on offense is magnified with few opportunities available. McCord finished the game strong against Maryland and is at his best when Day allows him to push the ball down the field (15+ yards). 

McCord is not CJ Stroud, but like his predecessor, he’s growing each week and performs his best late in games when the lights are brightest and pressure is highest. That’s a reassuring sign for the young quarterback. 

3. Offensive Line Struggles + Run Game Woes 

It is no secret that Ohio State’s biggest problem is the offensive line. Justin Frye’s unit is not getting off blocks or into the second level, which is why seemingly every run goes for 2-3 yards. TreVeyon Henderson does a good job masking the deficiencies up front because of his vision, shiftiness, and burst. He is RB1 for the Buckeyes when healthy for those reasons. 

On a day like Saturday, when he was unavailable, the issues suddenly resurfaced. The OL has to get off of double teams and into the second level quicker to generate push up front and win the line of scrimmage. The trenches will be the key to winning the games against Penn State and Michigan, which pride their identity on being physical up front. 

If Ohio State cannot find a running game that can get 175 yards per game, it will struggle in the premier Big Ten East matchups. Talent is equated in those showdowns, and the Buckeyes have the weakest OL. However, Ohio State has the deepest weapons chest to even it out. The more rushing yards, the better in the Big Ten, but the Buckeyes need to find a respectable rushing identity by October 21st.