Ohio State football vs. Michigan State: Defense grades

Ohio State needed to play a better defensive game this week than they did against Indiana. They did that and were able to beat the Spartans 52-12.

Ohio State’s defense had an issue in the second half of the Indiana game. They allowed 28 points and almost blew the game for the Buckeyes. We needed to see them play a better game against the Spartans on Saturday. They did, even though they played against a much worse offense.

The defensive line played pretty well in this game. They didn’t allow anyone to break free in the running game. In fact, the Spartans only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. Zach Harrison and Jerron Cage each had 0.5 sacks. Tyreke Smith had a sack that knocked Rocky Lombardi out of the game.

Freshman Cormantae Hamilton got his first collegiate sack as well. Javontae Jean-Baptiste recovered a fumble. Haskell Garrett continues to be a monster and recorded a pick-six with an astounding show of athleticism in the Spartan’s endzone. This was a really good day for the D-line.

Pete Werner continues his stellar play this season, leading the team in tackles in this game with 8. Justin Hilliard got extended playing time with Tuf Borland missing the game due to COVID and added 5 tackles of his own. Dallas Gant also had 5 tackles.

The linebackers as a whole did a good job of stopping runs at the second level. They didn’t allow any running back to break through for a big run. They weren’t too bad in coverage either. It was just a solid day for the most experienced group of Buckeye defenders.

The secondary was perhaps the biggest issue for Ohio State in that Indiana game. They played much better Saturday, albeit against a much worse set of quarterbacks. The Spartans combined for only 180 yards passing. They only allowed one deep pass to be completed on them as well.

Shaun Wade had a really nice interception that he had to dive to get. Marcus Hooker played a lot better and actually recovered two fumbles. Again, they were playing against a much worse passing attack. Even so, it was good to see the secondary play with more confidence.

It will be hard to tell if the defense has made any significant improvements until the Big Ten Championship game. Both Michigan State and TTUN have atrocious offenses, so it’s hard to tell what is real and what isn’t with this defense.