One of the biggest issues with last year’s Ohio State Football defense, was the inability to defend deep passes, it often would result in big plays that would be demoralizing to the unit.
Fast forward to the 2023 season and the Buckeyes seemingly have taken a massive step forward in that regard. Actually, it’s been the whole defense, but this was one area that many saw as a glaring weakness.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsWith a year under his belt, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles feels much more comfortable with his safety driven defense and as CFB Film Room points out, the Ohio State secondary has not allowed a single completion on a ball thrown over 20-yards this fall.
Ohio State is the only team in the country that has not allowed a completion on the deep ball against FBS opponents. pic.twitter.com/XN5AFQfKPB
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) October 3, 2023
There are multiple factors as to why this is, beginning with improved safety play from Lathan Ransom and Josh Proctor. The back end has been great, while the corners have seen a resurgence as well. Denzel Burke is playing like an All-American, and Jordan Hancock and davison igbinosun has been extremely solid in their play as well.
Don’t forget about crediting the defense line, as it has produced the most pressure in the Big Ten through the Notre Dame game (this stat could have changed during the Buckeyes bye). It’s been a team effort to limit big plays through the air and it’s safe to say that Ohio State has been very successful in doing so.
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