COLUMBUS, Ohio _ Greg Schiano's 28-year career has included stops at the University of Miami, Penn State, Rutgers, the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That resume only enhances the lofty praise the Ohio State defensive coordinator delivered Thursday.
"I've never coached a secondary as talented as this, and I've been doing this for 30 years," Schiano said. "We had some talented ones in Miami, but this, to me, is the best."
There are statistics to back up that accolade for a group that includes starting safeties Malik Hooker and Damon Webb and cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley.
Already this season the Buckeyes have set a school record with seven interception returns for touchdowns, shattering the mark of four held by the 1997 and 1986 teams.
Hooker has three of those, establishing OSU single-season and career records. Going into the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson on Dec. 31, he has totaled six interceptions and is tied for fifth in the nation in interceptions per game.
Ohio State stands second in the nation in defensive touchdowns, trailing only Alabama's 10 (five fumble returns, five interception returns). OSU (plus-16) ranks third in the nation in turnover margin, behind Washington (plus-21) and Western Michigan (plus-19).
Numbers aren't the only reason Schiano is so high on the 2016 Buckeyes secondary. He believes in Conley (of Massillon High School), Lattimore (of Glenville) and Denzel Ward (of Nordonia); OSU has three "rollover corners," which helps the OSU defense lead the nation in passing efficiency.
Schiano said when he looked at the 2015 participation chart, he saw that starting cornerbacks Conley and Eli Apple, the 10th overall pick of the New York Giants, played over 1,000 snaps apiece.
"It takes its toll on the body. Now if you've got three corners playing, I'm guessing they're at 700-800 each," Schiano said. "That may not sound like much, but 250 plays is a lot over the course of a season. If you watch a game, the wideouts will run a deep route, and a lot of times they go off and a new guy comes in. They don't do that much with corners. The corners need to run all the way back to the line and do it again. So to be able to roll over the corners and keep them fresh has been critical to our success."
Adding to Schiano's regard for the secondary is one of the best collections of talent in Ohio State history. Lattimore and Hooker are redshirt sophomores in their first season as starters. Lattimore was recently projected as a top five draft pick by ESPN's Todd McShay, and Hooker was a consensus first-team All-America.
He's drawn comparisons to nine-time Pro Bowler Ed Reed, whom Schiano coached in college at Miami.
"I said that early last spring when I saw some of the things (Hooker) could do in our winter conditioning and spring practice," Schiano said of the Reed comparison. "When I arrived at Miami, Ed was a really young, talented player who learned how to prepare. Malik was in the same jumping-off spot. (Malik) has become really proficient at preparing each week, and that's exciting to see as a coach."
Hooker believes the Buckeyes are the best secondary in the nation because of their closeness and the feeling of brotherhood they developed during trying times. He sat on the bench behind safeties Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell, while Lattimore battled a hamstring injury for two seasons.
"We go out there, and we want to make plays for each other," Hooker said. "And when another one of us makes plays, we celebrate as if we were the one that made the play.
"We've been through the hardest part of the program with each other, and we've seen each other struggle. I feel like that plays a major role in why we're so good and why everybody buys into what everybody is saying."
Ohio State has recorded 19 interceptions and scored on seven, with Lattimore, Webb, freshman cornerback Rodjay Burns and linebacker Jerome Baker adding one touchdown each.
As far as their prowess finding the end zone, Hooker went back to Schiano's mantra that good defenses create turnovers and great defenses score.
"Anytime we get a turnover, everybody feels like it's almost obligated for us to score," Hooker said. "Everybody grabs a man and does the best they can to block. We're not built to block, so for us to put our body in jeopardy says a lot about us."
