Ohio State Football: Buckeyes will dominate turnover margin in 2018
Since Urban Meyer took over the Ohio State football program his teams have won the turnover battle every year, but not always by a wide margin.
I always thought every Ohio State football team with Urban Meyer at the helm dominated the turnover margin. Especially those during the J.T. Barrett era.
While it is true that the Buckeyes have been efficient in winning the turnover battle under coach Meyer, the spread is not as wide as I thought.
The chart below represents the overall turnover margin for the last six seasons.
| Season | Fumbles Recovered | Interceptions | Fumbles Lost | Interceptions thrown | Margin |
| 2017 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 5 |
| 2016 | 9 | 21 | 5 | 7 | 15 |
| 2015 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 3 |
| 2014 | 8 | 25 | 14 | 12 | 7 |
| 2013 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 5 |
| 2012 | 7 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
Given the team’s success despite not dominating turnover ratio, does this stat really matter?
Of course it does. The wins over Oklahoma and Michigan in 2016 were in large part due to turnovers. The team was plus-two in the win over Alabama in 2015.
By contrast, the Buckeyes were minus-four in the loss to Iowa last year and that cost them a shot at making the College Football Playoff.
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It will be interesting to see if Dwayne Haskins is as protective of the ball as Barrett. I think the coaches will encourage him to take more chances, even if it means turning the ball over a little more.
The defense has shown it can get the ball back when needed, and given Greg Schiano’s aggressive style of play I see no reason why the offense should not be equally aggressive.
The trend under Meyer has been to back up a decent year for takeaways with an outstanding year.
The secondary had eight fewer interceptions last year than in 2016. Losing a guy like Malik Hooker has that kind of impact.
Will 2018 see an improvement?
Thinking it won’t is understandable considering the secondary lost Denzel Ward and Damon Webb, but they will improve.
The schedule has many pass heavy teams. Given the strength up front, teams are going to test the secondary believing it is their best option to win.
Next: New QB commit-Buckeyes a great fit
The depth in the secondary has never been better. The 2014 defense grabbed 25 interceptions. This group has the potential to exceed that number. If they do, the 2018 season will be special.