With the Big Ten season finally about to get going, what are the keys to every team’s defense? What does each team have to work on?
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Big Ten Preview: Keys To Every Defense
Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Maryland | Michigan
Michigan State | Minnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern
Ohio State | Penn State | Purdue | Rutgers | Wisconsin
Biggest Key To The Illinois Fighting Illini Defense
Stop the run. Lost a bit in the shocking win over Wisconsin was the job done all day by the Illini D, holding Jonathan Taylor and company to just 156 yards on the ground.
Illinois needed an epic comeback against Michigan State – getting gouged for 275 yards on the ground – and went 1-4 on the season when allowing 200 rushing yards ore more. Since beating Rutgers in the middle of the 2016 season, Illinois is 1-22 when giving up two bills.
Fortunately, Nebraska is the only team on the first half of the slate that has any semblance of a ground game.
Biggest Key To The Indiana Hoosiers Defense
More big plays would be nice. Helped by an offense that kept the chains moving and stayed on the field, the defense was able to do just enough to stay in most games. There’s enough experience returning, though, to start turning games around.
The pass rush was okay, but hardly anything special, especially in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers failed to generate more than one sack in five of the last nine games, and 14 of the 27 sacks overall came against Ball State, Eastern Illinois, UConn and Rutgers.
Partly because of the lack of steady pressure, the interceptions didn’t come with just seven on the season and three in the first nine games.
Big Ten Preview: Keys To Every Defense
Iowa | Maryland | Michigan | Michigan State
Minnesota | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ohio State
Penn State | Purdue | Rutgers | Wisconsin
NEXT: Iowa Hawkeyes, Maryland Terrapins
Biggest Key To The Iowa Hawkeyes Defense
Be a whole lot better on third down conversions.
This all falls under the formula that Iowa needs to get right for it all to work. If it’s not going to be a 40-point-per-game team, and it’s going to rely on great defense, coaching, and special teams to take over most games, it has to do all of the little things right.
This year, with the revamped D, getting off the field matters more than ever.
Overall the Iowa defense was great, and it will be again after the new starters come into place, but when it couldn’t stop long marches, there was a problem.
In 2014, Iowa lost to Wisconsin 26-24 after allowing the Badger O to convert on 54% of their third down tries. That was the last time the Hawkeyes D allowed anyone to convert more than 50% of their attempts before Penn State converted on 53% of its chances in the 17-12 victory in mid-October of last season.
A few weeks later, Wisconsin hammered away for over 57% of its third down tries in a 24-22 win.
By the way, the Hawkeyes are 1-8 over the last eight years when allowing teams to convert more than half of their third down chances.
Biggest Key To The Maryland Terrapins Defense
Find something it can do well. The Terp D suffered from an O that seemed like it wanted to get off the field as soon as possible, but it also didn’t do itself any favors.
Worst of all, the D got worse. Granted, the team went younger and younger as the season went on to get the new parts into the mix, but the line got killed for 300 rushing yards or more in a run of three games in four towards the end.
The secondary? It allowed more than 300 yards six times, and gave up over 400 in two of those. The pass rush wasn’t steady, there weren’t enough takeaways, and …
The defense needs to find a positive identity.
NEXT: Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans
Biggest Key To The Michigan Wolverines Defense
Keep everyone (especially Ohio State) to under six yards per play.
The Michigan defense has been absolutely phenomenal under Jim Harbaugh.
It finished 11th in the nation last season, second overall in 2018, third in 2017, and tied with Alabama for No. 1 in 2016, and fourth in Harbaugh’s first season.
And no one would ever know it, because all anyone remembers is the D getting power-dunked on by Ohio State year after year after year.
Last year’s Defense
allowed just 4.72 yards per play to everyone but three teams – Wisconsin, Alabama, and Ohio State.
Blowout loss, blowout loss (at least, after a half), blowout loss.
Only one other team came up with more than five yards per play – Penn State in the one other loss.
The amazing Michigan D is 0 for its last 7 – it beat Minnesota in 2015 – under Harbaugh when allowing teams to hit six yards per play.
28-1. That’s what Michigan is under Harbaugh – only losing the 14-13 heartbreaker to Iowa in 2016 – when allowing fewer than four yards per play.
Biggest Key To The Michigan State Spartans Defense
Don’t get tired. The Spartans were able to come out of the locker room roaring to start the game and after halftime, but they couldn’t keep up the production.
They dominated the first quarters, allowing just 41 points. And they allowed 113 in the second quarters.
They adjusted, giving up just 29 points in the third quarters. And then it all fell apart allowing 110 in the fourth.
To be fair, the offense didn’t provide a lick of help in five of the six losses – scoring 34 in four, to go along with the 34 against Illinois – but the D collapsed against the Illini and too many teams came through late.
Arizona State was held to three points, right up until it marched for a 75-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth in its 10-7 win.
Ohio State’s 24-point second quarter burst all but put the game away, Wisconsin hammered the nail with 21 fourth quarter points, and worst of all, the 27-point Illinois outburst in the fourth quarter – there was a pick-six by Brian Lewerke in the mix – was the biggest collapse.
NEXT: Minnesota Golden Gophers, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Biggest Key To The Minnesota Golden Gophers Defense
More plays in the backfield would be a plus. It’s hard to argue with the success the Gopher D enjoyed last year, but even with plenty of experience and a few NFL-caliber players, it was like pulling teeth to make plays behind the line.
The defense only came up with 62 tackles for loss. There weren’t enough forced fumbles and being 115th in the nation in TFLs wasn’t okay for a group that talented.
It’ll be a bit tougher with all the new starters and new parts, but it’s not like everyone has to be ready right away – the Gophers only start the season with Michigan.
Biggest Key To The Nebraska Cornhuskers Defense
A clutch stop would be really, really nice. In 2018, allowing teams to drive at will was more of the problem. The defense held more often, but the more trips meant more points.
Last season, Nebraska allowed didn’t all all that many trips inside the red zone – at least not compared to the rest of the normal college football world – but it gave up automatic points every time a team was able to drive deep.
The Huskers were 122nd in the nation in red zone defense, allowing teams to convert 91% of the time.
Indiana was able to get inside the 20 six times, scored on all six trips, and got five touchdowns – Nebraska lost.
Purdue got into the red zone four times, scored four touchdowns – Nebraska lost.
Overall, the team was 1-6 last year and is 2-10 under Scott Frost when teams converted on every trip inside the red zone – both wins were over Illinois – and is 7-2 when teams converted 75% of the time or fewer.
NEXT: Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes
Biggest Key To The Northwestern Wildcats Defense
The veteran defense has to come up with more big plays. The 2018 defense was a takeaway machine at times, coming up with 26 on the season with two or more in seven games.
Last year the defense came up with multiple takeaways in five games, but it only generated six turnovers in the final eight games and went through a four-game stretch with no turnovers. It only came up with one fumble recovery over the final eight games.
The program has won its last 11 games when it came up with three turnovers or more. Considering the offense isn’t going to be 2019 LSU all of a sudden, the defense is going to have to do its part to give the other side more easy chances.
Biggest Key To The Ohio State Buckeyes Defense
It has to be Next Guy Up in the secondary … fast. Even by Ohio State’s amazing standards, the pass Defense
was something special last season.
It allowed 259 yards and two touchdowns to Trevor Lawrence in the College Football Playoff loss to Clemson, but that’s the cost of doing business – the pass D wasn’t exactly ripped up.
The Buckeyes gave up just nine touchdown passes with 15 picks on the year, and Lawrence was the only one who hit them with double-digit touchdown passes. And now …
Jeff Okudah is a Detroit Lion, Damon Arnette went to the Raiders with the 19th overall pick, and Jordan Fuller was selected by the Rams.
Fortunately, Shaun Wade is back to step in at corner – he could work at safety if needed – and there’s more than enough talent returning to be okay. However, the date at Oregon comes up in the second week of the season, and the pass Defense
has to be ready to be special again.
NEXT: Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue Boilermakers
Biggest Key To The Penn State Nittany Lions Defense
Don’t allow a lot of points. Duh … that’s sort of the whole point of playing defense. However, over the last four years under James Franklin, good things happen when his Defense
s keep teams under 27 points.
The Nittany Lions are 31-1 when allowing fewer than 27 points – only losing 21-17 to Michigan State in 2018. When allowing 27 or more, they’re 9-10.
So how does the defense keep the score low? Simple – get off the field.
Time of possession hasn’t meant a whole lot to Penn State over the years, but that means the defense can’t be taxed by giving up long drives. The defense was just okay on third down stops overall, but when it allowed teams to convert fewer than 40% of their chances, the team was 6-0, and almost always with ease.
Biggest Key To The Purdue Boilermakers Defense
Get the (bleep) off the field already. The Boilermakers have the pass rushers, and they have the experience overall, but the defense was a disaster far too often when it came to coming up with the big stop to get the ball back to the offense.
Part of it is a stylistic choice.
Purdue doesn’t care a lick about time of possession, which is fine when the offense is rocking and rolling. That’s bad when the defense gets gassed. Allowing teams to covert 40% of their third down chances isn’t totally miserable, but it’s not great.
For the most part, the D was able to do the job. But Penn State was able to keep things moving, and the wheels came totally off late in the season when Wisconsin and Indiana combined to convert 20-of-30 third down tries in the final two games.
In Jeff Brohm’s first two seasons, the defenses finished the seasons under the 40% mark. The year before he took over, the defense was giving up third down tries at a 49% clip.
NEXT: Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Wisconsin Badgers
Biggest Key To The Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defense
Rutgers Defense, start by helping yourself out. The D was dead last in the Big Ten in third down stops, it was dead last in sacks and tackles for loss, and it was dead last in takeaways.
But that’s not a new thing for the Scarlet Knights. The 2012 defense forced 32 turnovers – and hasn’t busted past 20 since then.
Last season? Ten. Ten takeaways, and six came in three games against UMass, Indiana and Ohio State. That means there were a mere four turnovers forced in the other nine games, with just two fumble recoveries outside of two generated against the Buckeyes.
Help the offense, help you, defense, with big plays and easy field position chances.
Biggest Key To The Wisconsin Badgers Defense
Find the pass rushers to replace Zach Baun and Chris Orr. The defense is going to be good no matter what, but generating a pass rush isn’t a given.
The Badgers finished fifth in the nation in sacks, with the 51 being even more impressive considering the defense was only on the field for almost 25 minutes per game. The year before, though, getting to the quarterback was an issue, with the Badgers generating just 19, with almost all of them in four games.
In 2017, the defense came up with 42 sacks with the production coming from several spots, and in 2016 it came up with 34, mostly helped by that TJ Watt guy.
The improved pass rush last season was a massive reason why the defense led the nation in third down conversion stops. Without Baun and Orr, the Badgers have to quickly figure out who can be the next statistical star.
