Ohio State Football: New coaches bring needed adjustments
For the Ohio State defense, adjustments were more of a necessity than a simple improvement like on offense. Last season the Buckeyes gave up an embarrassing amount of 60+ yard runs, and the defense sometimes allowed the opposing team to stick around much longer than they should have, just like in the Maryland game.
The main cause of these issues was that while each unit played well in their own regard, the defensive lineman, linebackers and secondary players did not become one cohesive unit.
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The defensive lineman and linebackers did an excellent job of forcing their way into the backfield for TFLs, but many times missed the tackle for a loss and gave the secondary the responsibility of stopping the running backs. This issue caused DBs to come off the receivers while hesitating on play-action passes allowing them to get room to catch the ball.
Greg Mattison (who will be co-defensive coordinator, but used to coach defensive lineman) and LB coach Al Washington came over from Michigan, a team that held opposing teams to only 3150 yards combined in 2018, which was second-best in all of college football.
For the secondary, former-NFL DB coach Jeff Hafley will look to continue developing players into more examples for why Ohio State deserves the hotly-debated “DBU” title. The Buckeye secondary will aim to work alongside the lineman and linebackers to form a cohesive unit that intimidates the other offenses in the Big Ten and the rest of college football.
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Even after a 13-1 record Ohio State can show reasons for improvement. None more evident than the struggles the 2018 Buckeyes had. But with a revamped coaching staff for 2019, the Scarlet and Gray will look to make their first trip back to the College Football Playoff since 2016.